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College basketball rankings: Where do Big Ten teams rank in updated Coaches Poll, AP Top 25?

craig meyer, usa today network
·2 min read

With selection Sunday only two weeks away, the major national polls have largely given way to metrics like the NCAA’s NET rankings when discussing the sport and who will get the 68 coveted spots in the NCAA Tournament.

Still, the polls play a large role in shaping the conversation around the sport, as well as the way that individual programs and conferences are measured.

In the Big Ten, the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 continue to show a league lacking some of its traditional depth.

Last week, just two teams from the conference were ranked — No. 3 Purdue and No. 16 Illinois.

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The Boilermakers (26-3, 15-3 Big Ten) won their lone game last week, holding off Michigan State 80-74 behind 32 points, 11 rebounds and four assists from reigning national player of the year Zach Edey. Purdue has won 12 of its past 13 games. Last week, it trailed No. 1 Houston by 36 points and No. 2 UConn by one point in the Coaches Poll, though the Cougars and Huskies combined to go 3-0 since then.

The Fighting Illini (22-7, 13-5) won both of their games, scoring a combined 196 points in victories against Minnesota and Wisconsin. The three teams outside the top 25 that received votes for the poll — Wisconsin, Northwestern and Nebraska — each lost at least once, making a move into the top 25 unlikely.

Here are where Big Ten teams stand in the updated Coaches Poll and AP Top 25:

College basketball rankings for March 4

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

  1. Houston

  2. UConn

  3. Purdue

  4. Tennessee

  5. Arizona

  6. Iowa State

  7. North Carolina

  8. Duke

  9. Marquette

  10. Creighton

  11. Baylor

  12. Illinois

  13. Kentucky

  14. Auburn

  15. Kansas

  16. South Carolina

  17. Alabama

  18. Gonzaga

  19. San Diego State

  20. Washington State

  21. Saint Mary's

  22. Utah State

  23. BYU

  24. South Florida

  25. Florida

Others receiving votes: Dayton 31; Texas Tech 24; Nevada 24; Boise State 16; App State 13; James Madison 10; Oklahoma 8; Northwestern 7; Indiana State 5; Clemson 5; TCU 4; Wake Forest 3; Nebraska 1

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AP Top 25

This section will be updated when the poll is released Monday afternoon

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: College basketball rankings: Where do Big Ten rank in Coaches Poll, AP Top 25?