Big Ten basketball grades: Michigan earns 'A+' after fast start, Maryland gets an 'F' in midseason report card

This season of Big Ten basketball is breaking a bunch of historical stereotypes.

Narrative: "The Big Ten doesn't have any national championship contenders." 

Fact: Three of the top-five teams on KenPom are from the Big Ten.

Narrative: "Every single team in the Big Ten is good. There are no off nights." 

Fact: The bottom of the league is unequivocally worse this season.

Narrative: "The Big Ten has a guard play problem." 

Fact: This league houses Purdue's Braden Smith, Michigan State's Jeremy Fears Jr., Ohio State's Bruce Thornton, Iowa's Bennett Stirtz and how much longer do I have to keep going? I still haven't gotten to the studs in Badger Country. 

Bracketology: Duke, UConn move to No. 1 seeds in NCAA Tournament bracket after Vanderbilt, Iowa State lose

David Cobb

You get the point. This league is still a major grind, but it's evolved in good ways and bad ways entering 2026. Let's dive into midseason takeaways for each team, starting with the fellas who call Mackey Arena home.

Purdue (16-1, 6-0)

Initial KenPom rank: 3

Current KenPom rank: 4

Purdue has two non-shooters on the floor for 25-to-30 minutes per game and still has managed to build one of the all-time offenses. It's remarkable. Purdue has the best offense in America because it generates elite shots, hammers the offensive glass, rarely turns it over and has a problem-solving point guard and problem-solving head coach.

The Matt Painter-Braden Smith alliance is one of one.

Purdue is also getting a combined 33.3 points and 22 rebounds from its frontcourt; it just looks a little different this year for preseason All-American Trey Kaufman-Renn, who has had to tweak his game to let Oscar Cluff or Daniel Jacobsen patrol the paint. An under-the-radar development is that Purdue's depth in the backcourt is improved. CJ Cox is an awesome role player. Defends. Makes shots. Plays on or off the ball. Doesn't turn it over. Gicarri Harris is helpful. Fletcher Loyer is Fletcher Loyer. Smith can put on the cape whenever, as he chases the all-time assists record, but everybody eats here.

Michigan is the talk of the town, but Mackey is still home to the Big Ten title favorite. All of Purdue's goals are still firmly on the table. Midseason Grade: A

Nebraska (17-0, 6-0)

Initial KenPom rank: 51

Current KenPom rank: 15

Sharing is caring for an undefeated Nebraska team that has become one of the biggest stories of the college basketball campaign. The Huskers move the rock with precision, and Nebraska's layered offense is a brutal cover. Fred Hoiberg's group is tough, smart, dependable and resilient. It is never out of any game, and this mature approach to both ends is a huge reason why. Big man Rienk Mast is one of the elite stretch 5s in America, and his shooting, passing and late-clock backdowns become the skeleton key to help the Huskers reach the peak of their powers. 

This defense is also really good. Former walk-on Sam Hoiberg is legitimately one of the Big Ten's best defenders, and the gameplan to swarm the paint, eliminate middle drives and fly around to recover to shooters is working. Opponents are shooting just 30% from 3-point range … because they aren't able to generate clean looks. Nebraska has held eight of its last nine opponents to seven or fewer unguarded catch-and-shoot treys. 

This level of defensive execution gives this group staying power. Nebraska won't go undefeated because its 3-point happy style leads to high-variance games, but none of this is fake. Midseason Grade: A+

Michigan (15-1, 5-1)

Initial KenPom rank: 11

Current KenPom rank: 1

What else is there to say about Michigan? This Wolverines club is big, strong, fast and violent. Dusty May has nine guys he trusts to enter the fight and play winning basketball. When Michigan can turn your water off at the rim and get out into the open floor, no team is more terrifying. Imagine trying to stop Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson in transition? Hard pass.

Michigan can get better, too. It's getting worked on the offensive glass too much lately, and it's a bit concerning that the two most important halfcourt hubs (Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau) are high-risk, high-reward options. But Michigan's halfcourt offense ranks in the top-five nationally in efficiency, and it's paired with one of the best transition offenses in recent memory. No other team is this dominant in transition and this efficient in the halfcourt. Oh, and the defense is No. 1 in America with no easy guys to pick at. When Michigan's defensive communication is on point, you're trapped in a dangerous game of jump-shot roulette.

Remarkably, May has given Michigan a bite at the apple at a title less than two years removed from the Wolverines finishing dead last in the Big Ten. Midseason Grade: A+

Illinois (14-3, 5-1)

Initial KenPom rank: 6

Current KenPom rank: 5

Illinois has built the best halfcourt offense of Brad Underwood's career with a ton of size and shooting. Illinois is the tallest team in America and no squad gets more 3s from its frontcourt than Illinois. But this rise to the top of the metrics is being fueled by freshman sensation Keaton Wagler, who has transformed from a potential redshirt candidate into one of the Big Ten's best players. Underwood's decision to shift the primary ball-handling duties to Wagler after a late-November loss to UConn has helped this Illinois offense become the best version of itself. 

Illinois is a handful because it has five different guys (Wagler, Kylan Boswell, Tomi Ivisic, David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic) who have scored 20 multiple times this year.

There are 178 teams that have played at least five games against Quad 1 or Quad 2 competition. Illinois' offense ranks fourth, and its defense ranks 19th in effective field goal percentage, per CBB Analytics. Translation: Illinois isn't just cooking the books with big showings against low-major foes. Midseason Grade: A-

Michigan State (15-2, 5-1)

Initial KenPom rank: 25

Current KenPom rank: 12

There is abiding by your culture, and then there is whatever Michigan State is doing. The Spartans are different. Defense is a non-negotiable. Well, Michigan State is the second-best defense in America. Rebounding is a must. Well, the Spartans have out-rebounded opponents by 237 this season. That's a ludicrous number that rates third-best in America. Transition buckets have also long been a staple for MSU. This year's iteration is great at that as well, averaging over 18 transition points with at least one gravity-defying, Coen Carr rack attack.

Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and big man Jaxon Kohler are both on the short-list for most improved players in all of college basketball. MSU doesn't have overwhelming NBA talent, but Tom Izzo has terrific buy-in from this roster. If Carr can give MSU any form of offensive pop in the halfcourt or another guard emerges, Michigan State can certainly dream of advancing beyond just the second weekend. Midseason Grade: A

Indiana (12-5, 3-3)

Initial KenPom rank: 40

Current KenPom rank: 32

Indiana isn't an easy out because Lamar Wilkerson is a professional net-shredder, Tucker DeVries is always dangerous, and first-year coach Darian DeVries is a sharp game-planner. But the Hoosiers have some real under-the-hood concerns that may keep it out of the Big Dance. The interior defense, predictably, just isn't up to par. Top-100 teams are shooting 60% at the rim against IU, and the lack of tip-top athleticism is transparent every night.

This is a solid, but flawed, basketball team that will be in a million close games down the stretch as it chases an at-large bid. Midseason Grade: C

Wisconsin (12-5, 4-2)

Initial KenPom rank: 20

Current KenPom rank: 39

Twenty-six points against Michigan? 27 against Minnesota? Yeah, I'm starting to think John Blackwell is back. When Wisconsin's big dawg is rolling, the Badgers get really scary, really quickly. Wisconsin lost offensive coordinator Kirk Penney this offseason, but the quick-strike transition attack is still alive and well with Nick Boyd spearheading the charge. This offense is a headache because Wisconsin has three bigs who can drain 3s and multiple dynamic guards who can get downhill in a hurry. The Braeden Carrington emergence has certainly helped round out the rotation a little bit, too.

It was getting tenuous in Madison for a minute, but wins over UCLA, Minnesota and a road win over then-No. 2 Michigan have completely revamped Wisconsin's season. The Badgers can have a runway to get rolling here because this offense can be far and away better than its current No. 46 rating on KenPom.com. 

This is a tournament team. Midseason Grade: B-

UCLA (12-5, 4-2)

Initial KenPom rank: 10

Current KenPom rank: 41

Mick Cronin's bet on retention has worked to keep UCLA's floor rather high. Tyler Bilodeau is quietly having a phenomenal season. The senior forward is chasing the 50-40-90 club. Skyy Clark was having an awesome first two months before succumbing to an unfortunate hamstring injury, but Trent Perry has stepped right into that combo-guard role and has balled out. Eric Dailey isn't consistent — story of his career — but the good moments are real. The dudes who stayed are keeping UCLA afloat.

But Cronin's biggest free-agency wagers have to start panning out for the Bruins to reach their lofty preseason goals. Donovan Dent is mired in a miserable shooting slump, and that's seeping into every area of his game. Cronin seems to have little faith in the Xavier Booker at the 5 experiment, but it's a hard predicament because his backup (Steven Jamerson) isn't much of an offensive threat outside of his Herculean efforts on the offensive glass. 

Simply put, UCLA needs its All-American point guard to play like a dude down the stretch if the Bruins want to make the tournament comfortably. UCLA just has too much talent to miss the dance ... right? Grade: C+

Minnesota (10-7, 3-3)

Initial KenPom rank: 73

Current KenPom rank: 86

Niko Medved has dragged Minnesota out of the Big Ten basement even though he has one of the least-proven, five-man platoons in the league and lost point guard Chansey Willis to a season-ending injury.

It's remarkable work. 

UNC transfer Cade Tyson has been a godsend for Minnesota, and Minnesota has been an oasis for Tyson, who looks like a completely different dude in the Twin Cities.

Minnesota's lack of elite size or dynamic off-the-bounce guards will keep the Golden Gophers from seriously chasing an at-large berth, but this group is feisty. Medved has basically made a wager that his group will execute in the halfcourt better than you. He drags opponents into the mud. Minnesota has ceded just 17 transition possessions total in the last four games. Midseason Grade: C

Ohio State (11-5, 3-3)

Initial KenPom rank: 27

Current KenPom rank: 37

Freshman forward Amare Bynum's emergence is coming in the nick of time. Ohio State's new starting lineup of Bruce Thornton, Juni Mobley, Devin Royal, Bynum and Christoph Tilly is a force to be reckoned with. It has real size. It has rebounding. It has a big man who can pass. It has some semblance of shooting at all five spots. Oh, and it has a "fine, I'll do it myself" All-American in Thornton. If Jake Diebler can keep those five guys on the floor for 80% of the minutes moving forward, Ohio State can certainly make a run to the NCAA Tournament.

But the lack of depth is a major concern. Outside of Minnesota, Ohio State is the thinnest team in the league. Diebler needs one of Gabe Cupps, Colin White, Taison Chatman or big man Ivan Njegovan to rise to the occasion to help out because the Buckeyes keep running out of gas in late-game situations. Ohio State has a -26.5 net rating in clutch time this season, per CBB Analytics. That rates 15th in the Big Ten and 66th amongst the 80 high-major outfits. Midseason Grade: C+

Iowa (12-5, 2-4)

Initial KenPom rank: 46

Current KenPom rank: 21

Predictive metrics (like KenPom) believe Iowa is a very good basketball team. Wins Above Bubble (a resume-based metric) says the Hawkeyes are a lot closer to a bubble team based on what's happened on the floor in the first 17 games, especially after razor-tight losses to title contenders like Purdue, Iowa State and Illinois.

The eye test is somewhere in the middle. Ben McCollum is an A+ ball coach, but this roster has some warts that have been exposed. High-major offenses are bullying Iowa in the paint, and the elite defenses are sending two (and sometimes three) defenders at Bennett Stirtz to eliminate driving lanes, take away those easy pocket passes and dare others to beat 'em.

Robert Morris transfer Alvaro Folgueiras and under-the-radar freshman Tate Sage look like massive X-Factors during the back half of the slate. The ball is getting funneled into their hands; smart decisions have to be made for Iowa to reach the peak of its powers. 

In a month, I wouldn't be surprised if Iowa is 18-6 and everything is back on the straight and narrow. Midseason Grade: B

Washington (10-7, 2-4)

Initial KenPom rank: 45

Current KenPom rank: 50

Washington is unquestionably talented but equally discombobulated. Only four rotation players have been available for all 17 games, so Danny Sprinkle is still tinkering to find who should be playing the bulk of the minutes around star freshman big man Hannes Steinbach. Sophomore point guard Zoom Diallo has been one of the most improved players in America, but the Huskies' ceiling is limited because Sprinkle's best defensive lineup has too many non-shooters, and his top offensive lineup can't stop a nosebleed. Getting Wesley Yates up to speed after his unfortunate wrist injury will be vital.

Washington can still make the NCAA Tournament, but the clock is ticking for this team to find its identity. Midseason Grade: C-

USC (14-3, 3-3)

Initial KenPom rank: 22

Current KenPom rank: 51

USC's high-priced guard room has just been decimated. Rodney Rice (shoulder) is done for the year, Chad Baker-Mazara (neck) is banged up and five-star freshman Alijah Arenas (knee) still hasn't played. Eric Musselman's group has more rim protection, and Baker-Mazara has starred in an alpha role, but the Trojans are hamstrung with a backcourt that doesn't have enough two-way difference-makers. 

The lineup that Musselman dreamed about in the preseason will never play together this year. Even with Arenas closing in on a return, USC has a steep hill to climb to make the NCAA Tournament. Oh, what could have been. Grade: C

Rutgers (9-8, 2-4)

Initial KenPom rank: 85

Current KenPom rank: 156

Realistically, what could you have expected from this roster? The talent has dropped off the map considerably in Piscataway. The writing was on the wall in free agency, and it's come to fruition on the floor. Rutgers has the least-talented roster in the Big Ten, forcing Steve Pikiell to rely on tough shot-making from Tariq Francis or Kaden Powers to try to survive. In this league, that's a death sentence. Only four high-major teams have a worse halfcourt offense than Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights are undersized and overmatched. Pikiell has gotten this group to scrap and claw its way to overtime home victories over fellow Big Ten bottom-feeders like Oregon and Northwestern, but this situation does not feel tenable. Midseason Grade: F

Oregon (8-9, 1-5)

Initial KenPom rank: 37

Current KenPom rank: 88

Oregon did not have the requisite depth to withstand a hand injury to star junior guard Jackson Shelstad, and the wheels have fallen off the Ducks' wagon quickly. On paper, this roster looked like it could be an NCAA Tournament club with Shelstad, stud center Nate Bittle and breakthrough forward KJ Evans leading the charge, but the gambles on the wing have not coalesced.

If Shelstad returns, Oregon could be a thorn for Big Dance hopefuls because it has the resume of a Quad 3 club (currently No. 111 in the NET), but the top-shelf talent that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in this league. The biggest storyline surrounding Oregon down the stretch will be the future of Dana Altman. Will the 67-year-old go out like this? It'd be eerily fitting if Oregon got healthy and made it to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals to give Altman one more from-the-dead, March surge. Midseason Grade: F

Northwestern (8-9, 0-6)

Initial KenPom rank: 57

Current KenPom rank: 61

Not all 8-9 teams are created equal. Northwestern is an utter pest who has been run off the floor just once this season. The 'Cats have had a real shot to win every other game and come up a smidge short. Senior forward Nick Martinelli is a total warrior, and Chris Collins' trap-happy defensive scheme should get better with time as all these fresh faces get even more up to speed. Cincinnati transfer big man Arrinten Page has been a revelation, and South Florida transfer point guard Jayden Reid can get it going in a hurry, too. Northwestern has a star and an identity, so no one in the league will be surprised if some of these razor-tight games start going its way.

The dreams of a Big Dance appearance are all but over, though. Midseason Grade: D

Penn State (9-8, 0-6)

Initial KenPom rank: 95

Current KenPom rank: 106

One question emerges every single time Penn State pops up on the screen: What would this club look like if Yanic Konan Niederhauser had not skyrocketed into becoming a first-round NBA Draft pick? Penn State could certainly use the shot-blocking big man. Mike Rhoades has had to over-index on a trapping pressure defense in an effort to force turnovers and cover up the lack of rim protection on this roster. Penn State's defense has been gauged at every level by most offenses worth their salt. The Nittany Lions are allowing 1.228 points per possession to top-100 clubs and have the 352nd-rated two-point defense in those eight contests.

When healthy, Penn State freshman guard Kayden Mingo has been a total baller, and the patented Year 2 transfer surge has been money in the bank for Freddie Dilione V. Freshmen Ivan Juric and Melih Tunca look like keepers, too. But Rhoades is staring down a third straight season without even sniffing the NCAA Tournament. Almost everyone saw this coming when Niederhauser didn't return to Happy Valley in the final hour. If Rhoades can keep this group together, I'd be optimistic of Penn State's hopes in 2026-27. This is the youngest team in the Big Ten by a country mile. Midseason Grade: D+

Maryland (7-10, 0-6)

Initial KenPom rank: 34

Current KenPom rank: 127

No Big Ten team has plummeted from its preseason rating more than Maryland. A scary-looking injury to big man Pharrel Payne is the culprit, but some of Buzz Williams' biggest wagers in free agency simply have not panned out. Diggy Coit is the exception. The 5-11 fireballer walks onto the floor ready to cook, but three of Maryland's top-four guards have more turnovers than assists this season. That's a big contributing factor to the Terps having the worst halfcourt offense in the Big Ten.

Maryland is on pace for its second-worst finish in the KenPom era, which dates back to 1997. Midseason Grade: F