By Paul M. Banks
1. Michigan St. 19-4, 9-2 –Izzo’s squads usually get better as the season goes along, and can be very dangerous in March. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.
2. Illinois 19-5, 7-4 -Given what an awful road team they are, hard to place them here, but no one else has protected their home court like the I-L-L. And they just clobber people at the House of ‘Paign
3. Purdue 17-6, 6-4 –JaJuan Johnson can’t do it all himself, they need Robbie Hummel back BAD!
4. Ohio St. 16-5, 6-4 –They’re ranked again and playing like they want to stay that way. Evan Turner great example of how this is a sophomore dominated conference
5. Minnesota 18-5, 6-5 -Probably still a year or two away from doing any real damage in March
6. Penn St. 17-7, 6-5 –Notice how Nittany Lions starts with N-I-T
7. Michigan 15-9, 5-6 –Looked good for awhile against UConn, but not good enough to end decade plus tourney drought
8. Northwestern 13-8, 4-6 –Took HUGE step backward Sat night in loss at Iowa, If the interrogators in Guantanamo need a new torture method, they could make detainees watch that game. Wlesh-Ryan still a dangerous place to play
9. Wisconsin 14-9, 5-6 –Don’t count Bo Ryan out yet, he can do the Soul Ja Boy dance.
10. Iowa 13-11, 2-8 –Yawn…..WHO CARES!?
11.Indiana 6-16, 1-9 –Could get whopped by most Mid-Major teams