This is the 12th installment of our weekly Big Ten Power Rankings which we will publish each Friday. This week’s voters were Deepak Jayanti, Joey Nowak and Kevin Trahan of the Big Ten Microsite.

In this week’s Big Ten power rankings we discuss each team’s week and assess each team’s chances of making it to the NCAA Tournament.

Nik Stauskas(left) continues to impress as a freshman on the top team in the nation.

1. Michigan – Michigan earned its first No. 1 ranking since 1992 this week and the Wolverines certainly lived up to that billing against Northwestern. Now comes the big test: a game in Bloomington that will likely be on everyone’s short list for game of the year. Michigan’s offense is widely considered the best in the country, but its defense is also very underrated. Against Northwestern, the Wolverines did an incredible job of staying disciplined and keeping the ball on the perimeter. They’ll need more of that — plus solid play from the big men — against Indiana. Make the NCAA Tournament: Obviously Michigan will make the NCAAs, but can it grab the No. 1 overall seed? That might be difficult, as the Wolverines have a much tougher remaining slate than challengers Florida and Kansas.
2. Indiana – Indiana continues to work its way up the national rankings and made it all the way to No. 3 this week. The Hoosiers had a potential trap game against an improved Purdue team at Mackey Arena, but they absolutely pummeled their in-state rival, adding even more luster to tonight’s game against Michigan in Bloomington. Victor Oladipo has risen as a national star and looks like he could be the Big Ten’s defensive player of the year, an award many people had all but given to Aaron Craft in the preseason. Make the NCAA Tournament: Indiana will be in the NCAAs, but can the Hoosiers grab a No. 1 seed? That may be tough since teams behind them have easier schedules. Regardless, they should be in good shape to make a run at a #1 or #2 seed.
3. Michigan State – The Spartans were riding high in the Big Ten until they ran into the buzzsaw that is Indiana at home. They really held their own, though, without much help at all from top scorer Keith Appling. Adreian Payne is playing like a man possessed, and it must have been nice for Tom Izzo to see Gary Harris get back in the scoring column. A win against Illinois means seven wins in eight games over this grueling stretch, with an important home game against Minnesota also looming. Pretty safe to say Spartan fans like where the team is at, all things considered. Make the NCAA Tournament: Yes, it’s just a matter of where. The Spartans have climbed in most mock brackets over the last few weeks and definitely have the ability to play their way into a #3 seed. If they can do that, there’s a great chance they’d open the Tournament at the Palace of Auburn Hills. A home-court advantage, coupled with the standard Tom Izzo tourney prep? Watch out. Read the rest of this entry »