If you had told me in November that the Big Ten men's basketball standings would look like this by mid-January, I probably would’ve laughed in your face. Honestly. We’re sitting here on January 17, 2026, and the traditional "blue bloods" of the conference are currently staring up at a team that hasn't won a conference title since the late 1940s. It is wild out here.
Nebraska is 17-0. Let that sink in for a second. Fred Hoiberg has the Cornhuskers sitting at 6-0 in conference play, tied at the very top with a Purdue team that just refuses to go away. We're seeing a massive shift in how this league operates, especially with the West Coast additions finally settling into the grind.
The Unbelievable Rise of the Cornhuskers
Nebraska usually finds ways to break hearts, not win seventeen straight. But here we are. They aren't just winning; they’re carving teams up with a layered offense that basically makes life miserable for opposing coaches. Rienk Mast has turned into a legitimate nightmare as a stretch five. When you have a big man who can pass, shoot, and back you down when the clock gets thin, you're tough to beat.
They are currently ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll, but if they handle business today against Northwestern, that number is going to keep climbing. Most people figured they’d be a middle-of-the-pack tournament team. Instead, they’re the story of college basketball.
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Purdue and Michigan are Chasing History
Purdue is, well, Purdue. Even without Zach Edey, Matt Painter has found a way to stay at No. 5 in the country. Braden Smith just became the Big Ten’s all-time career assist leader, which is kind of insane when you think about the legends who have played in this league. They sit at 6-0 in the conference, keeping pace with Nebraska.
Then you have the Michigan Wolverines. Dusty May has them playing some of the fastest, most efficient basketball I've ever seen in Ann Arbor. They're No. 4 in the country and 5-1 in the Big Ten.
The Top Tier Breakdown
- Nebraska (6-0): Undefeated. Improbable. Dangerous.
- Purdue (6-0): Braden Smith is a wizard, and Trey Kaufman-Renn is a beast.
- Michigan (5-1): Dusty May’s system is a transition scoring machine.
- Michigan State (5-1): Tom Izzo has the No. 2 defense in the nation. Classic MSU.
- Illinois (5-1): The tallest team in America. They just beat Northwestern to stay hot.
What Most People Get Wrong About the New Big Ten
Everyone thought the travel for UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington would kill them. Kinda the opposite happened for the LA schools. UCLA is sitting at 4-2 in the conference, and USC is 3-3. They aren't dominating yet, but they aren't the doormats some predicted.
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The real surprise is the "bottom" of the league. Usually, the Big Ten has a high floor where everyone is "good." Not this year. Maryland, Northwestern, and Penn State are all 0-6 in conference play. It’s a massive gap. If you’re at the top, you’re elite. If you’re at the bottom, you’re basically a "get right" game for the contenders.
Key Matchups Deciding the Standings Today
Today, January 17, is a massive "moving day." We have some heavy hitters on the road.
- Michigan at Oregon: Michigan needs to prove they can handle the Eugene environment.
- Nebraska at Northwestern: Can the Huskers stay perfect? Northwestern is winless in the league and desperate.
- Purdue at USC: A massive test for the Trojans to see if they can crack the top tier.
- Michigan State at Washington: Izzo takes his defense to Seattle.
Keaton Wagler at Illinois is the name you need to watch. He’s a freshman who just dropped 20 in a single half against Northwestern. When you have freshmen playing like seniors, that’s when the Big Ten men's basketball standings start getting really interesting for March.
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Navigating the Mid-Season Chaos
If you're trying to make sense of where this ends up, stop looking at the names on the jerseys and start looking at the "Nerd Stats." KenPom loves Michigan and Purdue, ranking them in the top 5. Nebraska is the outlier—they're winning, but the metrics are still catching up to the reality of their 17-0 record.
Keep an eye on the defensive rebounding numbers. Michigan State is out-rebounding people by a ridiculous margin—over 230 more than their opponents so far. In a league that usually comes down to "grown man" basketball in February, that's a stat that wins titles.
To stay ahead of the curve, watch the road performance of the top five. Illinois is 4-0 on the road in Big Ten play, something they haven't done in twenty years. That’s the mark of a team that can actually win the regular-season crown.
Check the NET rankings every Monday morning. The Big Ten has six teams in the top 15 right now. That means even a "bad" loss is actually against a tournament team. If you want to track the race, prioritize the head-to-head matchups between Nebraska, Purdue, and Michigan over the next three weeks. Those games will decide who gets the double-bye in Indianapolis.