The Big Ten Conference is once again loaded with great college basketball teams, especially at the top. Many "experts" are predicting that this is the year that the long title drought ends, and most are predicting that the Purdue Boilermakers will be the team that does it. Purdue is always going to be in the mix in the Big Ten this season, but there were other impressive teams in the first week of the season.
Take a look at Week 1 Big Ten Conference power rankings based on what took place during the first week of the season.
1. Purdue Boilermakers
If we are being honest, the Purdue Boilermakers were not the most impressive team in the Big Ten Conference this week, but they did go 2-0. Purdue struggled to put away Oakland, but ultimately got past the Golden Grizzlies. The Boilermakers clearly have a ton of pressure and expectations on them, but they are talented enough to win even if they aren't playing their best.
2. Illinois Fighting Illini
The Illinois Fighting Illini weren't just the most impressive team in the Big Ten Conferene this week, they might have been the most impressive team in the country. Illinois scored 113 point in each of their first two games, and they did it without a number of starters. It's still very early in the season, but Brad Underwood might have a team that can cut down the nets.
3. Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana might be turning into a football school, but new head coach Darian Devries is trying to keep the attention on the hardwood. The Hoosiers hung 100 points on Marquette on Sunday, picking up a dominant 23 point victory. It's clear that this version of Indiana is going to be fun to watch on offense, but they still have to prove that they can win big games.
4. Michigan State Spartans
Tom Izzo just continues to get the job done in East Lansing, and he is never afraid to play anyone. The Spartans beat the mighty Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, and did it by being the tougher team. There are still some concerns for Michigan State, but you can never count Michigan State out.
5. Wisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers didn't challenge themselves with the early pat of their schedule, but they do have some big games coming. Wisconsin did shoot the ball well this week as they are averaging 96.5 points per game through two games.
6. Michigan Wolverines
The Michigan Wolverines are massive, and they are simply too big for weaker opponents in the early part of the year. Putting Michigan at number 6 is probably too low, but there were more impressive performances in the Big Ten Conference.
7. UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins didn't blow either of their first two opponents, but they did challenge themselves a bit with matchups against Eastern Washington and Pepperdine. UCLA is going to be a physical team this season, and that was on display during the first week of the season.
8. Washington Huskies
The Washington Huskies had a chance to be near the top of this list after the first week, but they missed out on getting a huge win on Sunday. Washington was competitive in a game against the Baylor Bears, but ultimately came up just a bit short in that matchup.
9. USC Trojans
The USC Trojans get credit for scoring 114 points in a huge win over Manhattan, but they also allowed 83 points to a bad team. USC is trying to replace a number of key pieces, and it's going to take them awhile to get things figured out.
10. Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins were one of the best stories from the Big Ten Conference a season ago, but that roster was completely gutted. Maryland had a big game with Georgetown in the first week of the season, and that game ended in a 10 point loss. The Terrapins can still be a threat in the conference race, but they need to get better in a hurry.
11. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to be an offensive juggernaut this season, but at some point they might want to defend. Ohio State is averaging 106 points per game this season, but they also gave up 102 points to IU Indy in the season opener.
12. Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska is not expected to contend for a Big Ten Conference title this season, but they are going beat bad teams, and beat them bad. The Cornhuskers are a fun team to watch, but they lack the size to compete with the top Big Ten Conference teams.
13. Northwestern Wildcats
Nick Martinelli has scored at least 15 points in 20 straight games, the longest streak for any player i the Power 4 conferences. Martinelli is going to be good enough to keep the Wildcats in every single game, and the Wildcats can really defend.
14. Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers averaged 91 points per game in their two wins, and Cade Tyson looks like a blossoming star in the league. Minnesotais always a hard team to figure out, but they could be a huge surprise this season.
15. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Rutgers played just one game in the first week, picking up an 81-53 win over Rider. The Scarlet Knights are always going to be a tough team on their home floor, and that will keep them in the mix.
16. Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes were able to pick up two wins to begin the season, and they actually looked solid on offense. Iowa was playing two horrific opponents though so it's hard to gauge where they stand. Placing Iowa at 16 feels right after one week, but this team has enough talent to move up.
17. Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State gets some credit for playing a true road game in a gym that holds just 1,000 people, but no Big Ten team should be doing that. The Nittany Lions don't even have football to keep the fans happy, and it's going to be a long year on the basketball side of things as well.
18. Oregon Ducks
The Oregon Ducks are clearly not the worst team in the Big Ten Conference, but it was not a great opening week. Oregon began the week by narrowly beating Hawaii by a single point, and then struggled to hang on against a bad Rice team. The Ducks were able to win both games, but they need to get things figured out in a hurry.