Detroit News Big Ten Basketball Power Rankings: Week of Dec. 25

1. Michigan State (12-1, 2-0) – The Spartans weren’t sharp early in the week against Houston Baptist but cleaned things up later in a win over Long Beach State. Two more tune-ups await Michigan State before getting back into Big Ten play, as many wonder whether there’s a team in the conference that might beat the Spartans. Last week: 1.

2. Purdue (12-2, 2-0) – Right now it looks like the Boilermakers have the best shot at the Spartans as they continue to roll. They’ve won eight straight and after some early-season issues, and will get one more non-conference game – at home against Lipscomb – before jumping back into the Big Ten. Last week: 2.

3. Michigan (11-3, 1-1) – The Wolverines have now won four straight, taking advantage of the schedule the last couple of games after the road win over Texas. The key in this stretch is that it has allowed Mo Wagner to allow an ankle injury to heal, as he’ll likely be back win Big Ten play resumes against Iowa. Last week: 3.

4. Maryland (11-3, 1-1) – The young Terrapins have taken advantage of the typical lull in the difficulty of the schedule late in the year to win four straight. They’ll ease back into things this week but will face an early conference test when they head to Michigan State in the first week of January. Last week: 4.

5. Minnesota (11-3, 1-1) – The Golden Gophers have bounced back from a poor stretch (when they lost three of four) by winning three straight. The Gophers appear to have avoided a big blow when an ankle injury suffered by guard Nate Mason wasn’t as serious as first believed with Minnesota saying his status is day-to-day. Last week: 6.

6. Ohio State (10-4, 2-0) – No shame in losing to North Carolina, as the Buckeyes did last week, but they weren’t exactly competitive as a five-game winning streak was snapped. They’ll get one more game against Miami (Ohio) before jumping back into Big Ten play with a trip to Iowa. Last week: 5.

7. Nebraska (9-5, 1-1) – The rankings are a bit of a crapshoot from this point as the Cornhuskers get the nod after two straight wins over overmatched teams. Confidence is high, however, in Lincoln as the Huskers have played well against tougher opponents and already have a win over Minnesota on their resume. Last week: 10.

8. Iowa (8-6, 0-2) – The first month or so of the season was pure misery for the Hawkeyes, but they’ve overcome their share of injuries and have slowly started to turn back in the right direction. They’ve won four straight, including a solid victory last week over Colorado. One more game awaits before a tough start to Big Ten play against Michigan. Last week: 14.

9. Penn State (10-4, 1-1) – Not a very good week for the Nittany Lions, but it wasn’t for most teams near the bottom of the rankings. They did get one convincing win over Binghamton before losing at home to Rider. It’s hardly what Penn State is looking for heading into the new year, but consistency has been hard to come by for the Nittany Lions. Last week: 11.

10. Northwestern (9-5, 1-1) – A four-game win streak was exposed as simply a result of playing lesser competition as the Wildcats went on the road and got blown out by Oklahoma. They were never in the game, and the momentum of last season’s NCAA Tournament appearance seems to be disappearing quickly. Last week: 7.

11. Wisconsin (6-7, 1-1) – The Badgers rolled over Green Bay to put together their first two-game winning streak since the first two games of the season. Getting win No. 3 in a row should come easy against Massachusetts-Lowell, and Big Ten play opens with some winnable games as the depleted Badgers look to find some momentum. Last week: 12.

12. Illinois (9-5, 0-2) – The Fighting Illini built a big lead against Missouri, then had to hang on for the victory. But there will be no nit-picking over style points this season for the Illini. Expect another win to come against Grand Canyon before the Illini get back into Big Ten play with back-to-back road games against Minnesota and Michigan. Last week: 13.

13. Rutgers (10-4, 0-2) – The Scarlet Knights were feeling good after last week’s upset over Seton Hall that pushed their winning streak to four. However, that all disappeared this week with a loss at home to Stony Brook. It’s hardly what Rutgers needed with one more non-conference game before heading to Purdue. Last week: 9.