By: Spencer McCraw

Due to the state of college basketball today with NIL deals and the ease of the transfer portal, parity exists at a higher level than any year prior. This trend is no different in the Big Ten. Sure, Purdue is at the top of the conference, but it doesn’t really feel like they have a controlling grip of it.

There is a lot that has happened, from the disappointments of Illinois and Iowa to the upsets brought on by Rutgers – let’s review some of it. 

Purdue should win it all, right?

The Boilermakers went from unranked to start the season, to now being the no. 1 team in the country. Just as quickly as they earned this honor, they lost it. After a very impressive out of conference run, will they implode in Big Ten play? I don’t think so at all, but there are still some concerns surrounding the team. 

What you need to remember is that there were no expectations surrounding this team at the beginning of the year. Most experts had them finishing third in the BIG 10 race behind Indiana and Iowa. The fact that they have climbed the ladder this year is something to be proud of. It’s also something to be worried about, though.

Outside of Zach Edey, there is not much experience – and – if the guards aren’t hitting their shots from the outside, then the offense stalls out. As a team, they are shooting 31% from beyond the arc – a clip good for 291st nationally. For this offense to really work, they need to hit their threes.

The blueprint for this offense was on full display in their last two possessions in their gutsy win at Ohio State. In the two possessions, they ran the exact same play – give the ball to Edey in the paint and have everyone else spread out on the perimeter.

On the first possession, the Buckeyes didn’t help in the paint – leaving Edey an easy jump hook. On the next possession, OSU doubled Edey – leading to a wide-open Fletcher Loyer from behind the arc. Matt Painter can run this set over and over again – and – if Loyer, Ethan Morton and Braden Smith are able to hit their shots, this offense is unbeatable. 

Realistically, I don’t think this Boilermakers squad should be the no. 1 team in the land. They’re absolutely a top-10, top-five team, but with so many question marks still present I would caution everyone from going all-in on them. 

The RAC is one of the best home courts in the country, barring the Iowa loss

Okay, yeah, it might be called the Jersey Mike’s Arena now, but the home court of Rutgers basketball will always be the RAC. 

There’s something to love about Rutgers basketball. They might not always have the best teams, but boy do they have grit. For the second year in a row, the Scarlet Knights have dethroned the no. 1 team in the country (it just so happened to be Purdue both times). 

Right now Steve Pikiell has his squad sitting at 11-5 with some impressive victories along the way, including wins over Indiana, Wake Forest, Purdue (huge for March) and Maryland. These wins can be attributed to the sensational play of junior Cliff Omoruyi – who averages 14.1 points and 10.0 rebounds – and senior Cam Spencer – currently bringing home 12.9 points per game. 

In a year where there’s no clear favorite in the BIG 10, this Rutgers team could compete with anyone in the conference. If they keep racking up more impressive wins, this is a team that could get hot going into March. 

Don’t look too far into the 76-65 loss to Iowa in the RAC today. 

Ohio State needs more scoring threats   

Chris Holtmann is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he has himself another solid team full of NBA talent. That’s normally a great thing, but I think it is hurting the Buckeyes right now.

This team is led by freshman phenom Brice Sensabaugh – currently averaging a cool 16.3 points per game. In their loss to Maryland, Sensabaugh went for 22 points and seven rebounds while also fouling out late. The other leader of the Buckeyes is senior forward Justice Sueing – who averages 13.6 points per game. He was also great against the Terrapins with 21 points and five rebounds. 

While these two were sensational for Coach Holtmann, OSU couldn’t find anyone else to go to. When the Buckeyes needed a bucket, everyone on the court knew who the ball was going to – and the Terrapins shut them off. 

Both of these players can go in the NBA draft this coming summer – with Sensabaugh being a one-and-done. I think it’s imperative for Chris Holtmann to find another scoring threat outside of these two in order to take defensive attention off of them. After dropping a second straight game, the Buckeyes have a get-right game against Minnesota on Thursday. 

Slow and steady wins the race for the Badgers 

When you think Wisconsin basketball, you think SLOW pace. Currently, Greg Gard’s Badgers squad sits as the 330rd team in the country in terms of possession per 40 minutes – aka, they’re bringing the game to a crawl. Even with that slow of a pace, the no. 14 Badgers are still winning games, as they are 11-3 and tied for first in the conference. 

This team is led by a trio of players who each average 13 points per game – guard Chucky Hepburn and forwards Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl. This team plays well together, and has the size and shooting to compete against teams like Purdue – besting the current Big Ten leader with a 37% clip from behind the arc. 

A problem I see with the Badgers is their inability to play at a consistent level. They have had great wins – look to a 80-77 victory over Marquette – but have also had questionable losses like their recent ten-point defeat to Illinois.

If Wisconsin can find a way to start racking up impressive wins, then they would be the clear favorite to compete with Purdue for the Big Ten crown. This week will be a big test for them, as they host Michigan State on Tuesday and then travel to no. 15 Indiana on Saturday. 

Indiana needs to find another scoring threat

Is Tim Weaver on to something? For those who don’t know who Tim Weaver is, I don’t either. He’s some random guy that decided to write Trayce Jackson-Davis a letter saying that he and the rest of the Indiana team are soft. I think what Mr. Weaver decided to do is a bit extreme, but the Hoosiers are on a slide right now. 

Indiana – the no. 15 team in the country – sits at 10-5 after back-to-back losses to Iowa and Northwestern. As much as Tim Weaver might want to blame him, it is not Jackson-Davis’ fault at all. In the Northwestern game, TDJ put up an absurd 18 points, 24 rebounds and eight assists. Freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino has turned into an incredible player, as he poured in 33 points in the loss. 

Outside of these two, though, Mike Woodson has been unable to find anyone that can consistently score in double digits. Does this mean that this team is soft? I don’t think so. I just think that someone else needs to step up and take some of the pressure off of Trayce and Jalen.

When this happens, this team could be a scary sight in BIG 10 play. Wednesday is a big test for the Hoosiers, as they travel to Happy Valley to take on Penn State. 

It’s important not to get too discouraged if your team drops one or two games in conference play. This is a conference where anyone can win any game, no matter the records.