February in college basketball typically reveals which teams in each conference are going to carry the flags. You begin to see their tournament identity and what kind of a threat they can be in March. For the Big Ten there might be more questions than answers. Just last week I was giving Maryland and Northwestern glowing reviews about who they are and the positive trend of their seasons. What a difference a week can make. Both teams suffered understandable losses over the weekend and inexcusable defeats on Tuesday night leading me to ask the question- Is there a trustworthy team in the conference? Sure, Wisconsin has been solid and continues to take care of business against teams they should beat but after that who knows. Purdue lost to Nebraska, Northwestern lost to Illinois, and Maryland lost to Penn State. Not to mention how bad Michigan State looked over an ok Michigan team. It's easy to overreact after these recent struggles but it does make me wonder what this conference will truly be entering the Big Ten tournament.
1- Wisconsin (20-3, 9-1)
Up next: @ Nebraska (Thurs) vs. Northwestern (Sun)
- Badgers have won seven straight and are really the only team that gives the conference stability. Hopefully they don't catch the bad-loss bug that seems to be going around the league.
2- Purdue (19-5, 8-3)
Up next: @ Indiana (Thurs)
- Purdue had a solid bounce-back week after losing to Nebraska with wins over Northwestern and Maryland.
3- Maryland (20-4, 8-3)
Up next: vs. Ohio State (Sat)
- Maryland had one of those weeks. Close loss at home to Purdue but an alarming response as they fell to Penn State. Is this a sign of things to come for a young Terps squad?
4- Northwestern (18-6, 7-4)
Up next: @ Wisconsin (Sun)
- The Wildcats entered the most difficult stretch of the season and so far they have gone 0-2. The Illinois game was not suppose to be much of a challenge and now Wisconsin awaits at the Kohl Center. Northwestern desperately needs Scottie Lindsey back in the lineup.
5- Iowa (14-10, 6-5)
Up next: @ Minnesota (Wed) @ Michigan State (Sat)
- The Hawkeyes have shown better play as of late with three straight wins. The bigger lift came last Sunday with the return of Peter Jok who will be needed heading into a tough week. Don't count out Iowa just yet.
6- Michigan (15-9, 5-6)
Up next: @ Indiana (Sun)
- Michigan is frustrating. On Tuesday night they absolutely crushed Michigan State and gave us yet another glimpse of how good they can be but still lack any real consistency.
7- Michigan State ( 14-10, 6-5)
Up next: vs. Iowa (Sat)
- This team is an absolute mystery. Just when you think they're figuring it out they get blown off the floor against a team they just beat a little more than a week ago.
8- Minnesota (16-7, 4-6)
Up next: vs. Iowa (Wed) @ Rutgers (Sat)
- This is a key stretch for a team that still looks like a safe bet to make the NCAA tournament. Gophers need to get back to .500 in league play.
9- Indiana (15-9, 5-6)
Up next: vs. Purdue (Thurs) vs. Michigan (Sun)
- Two major injuries have this team reeling and possibly missing out on the NCAA tournament which would be amazing given the way they opened up the season with wins against Kansas and North Carolina.
10- Penn State (13-12, 5-7)
Up next: @ Illinois (Sat)
- Huge win for the Nittany Lions on Tuesday over Maryland after a brutal loss to Rutgers. Penn State is still fighting.
11- Ohio State (14-10, 4-7)
Up next: vs. Rutgers (Wed) @ Maryland (Sat)
- The Buckeyes got a much needed win over Michigan last weekend to snap a two-game losing skid. This team still shows it can be a matchup problem for it's opponents.
12- Illinois (14-11, 4-8)
Up next: vs. Penn State (Sat)
- Illinois has conference wins over Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa and Northwestern. It reminds us that anything can happen in the Big Ten.
13- Nebraska (10-13, 4-7)
Up next: vs. Wisconsin (Thurs)
- Huskers are experiencing nagging injuries to key players putting a lot of pressure on a younger cast. This team needs to get healthy fast if they hope to finish strong.
14- Rutgers (13-11, 2-9)
Up next: @ Ohio State (Wed) vs Minnesota (Sat)
- You have to go back to December 18th when Rutgers had back-to-back wins. That is on the line Wednesday night.
