Big Ten Basketball: Wisconsin, Ohio State falls, Rutgers rises in latest power rankings

1. Purdue Boilermakers - 22-2 (11-2)

While others in the Big Ten have been falling, the Boilermakers now have the longest win streak, currently at eight games. But it’s at least been interesting, with two recent games coming down to the wire. Against Northwestern, Purdue won 105-96 in overtime, led by 30 points from Zach Edey, along with 26 from Lance Jones. Sophomore guard Braden Smith dished out a career-high 16 assists as well.

In what at the time was a huge Big Ten matchup, Purdue went on the road and beat Wisconsin in a 1 vs 2 game. The final score was a 75-69 victory, led by 20 points from Jones, 19 from Smith, and Edey with a quiet 18 points and 13 rebounds from Edey.

Not too long ago, Purdue wasn’t even in first place in the conference standings. Thanks to Wisconsin, the preseason favorites now have a two-game lead with 6-7 games left in the regular season. Ultimately, the Boilermakers are more concerned with locking up another 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and with their resume, it’s a good bet.

Two of the next three games for the Boilermakers are against Minnesota and Rutgers, two teams currently outside of the bubble. A win over Purdue will get them back in the NCAAT mix so in a way, Purdue can determine how many bids the league will ultimately get.