Mutka: Big Ten’s balance of power invites nail-biters

• Reprints

Updated: March 1, 2012 8:39AM

Fasten your seat belts if you’re a Big Ten basketball fan. Halfway through conference play the wild and crazy ride shows no signs of abating.

If you believe number-crunchers like Sagarin and RPratings.com, the Big Ten is No. 1 in the RPI ratings. Last time I checked, nine of the league’s dandy dozen were ranked in the top 50. Even wannabes such as Penn State, Nebraska and Iowa are enjoying their moments to remember.

Home-court advantages aren’t what they used to be with 16 visiting teams (through Saturday) having pulled conference wins out of a hat. Iowa leads the league in mischief making with stunners at Wisconsin and Minnesota, but the Badgers deserve some credit for winning at Illinois shortly after the Illini shocked Ohio State.

The Big Ten also deserves a pat on the back for its attention to the 4 Cs. Michigan’s Zack Novak, Purdue’s Robbie Hummel, Ohio State’s William Buford and Michigan State’s Draymond Green are among the top 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which focuses on classroom, community, character and competition.

Ohio State was considered an overwhelming preseason favorite, but Michigan State continues to dog them. Two weeks ago I would have been tempted to include Indiana in the title hunt, but the Hoosiers can’t be taken seriously because they continue to hit potholes on the road.

This is the strongest I can remember the league being from top to bottom in many moons. Here’s how the Big Ten shapes up coming into the critical homestretch (in alphabetical order):

Illinois (15-6, 4-4) — Seven-footer Meyers Leonard has emerged as an inside force, leading the league in blocked shots and averaging 7.8 rebounds, but Brandon Paul’s 43-point binge in the upset of Ohio State was the biggest headline hogger. Losing at Penn State killed this up-and-down team’s momentum. Grade: B

Indiana (17-5, 5-5) — Victories over potential national champions Kentucky and Ohio State put the Hoosiers back on the map, but their confidence took a big hit with a home loss to Minnesota. Blowing a rare road victory at Nebraska killed their faint title hopes.

Until Wisconsin smothered them Thursday, the high-octane Hoosiers were shooting lights out with bombers Matt Roth, Jordan Hulse and Christian Watford, who rank in the top four in arc-manship. Freshman Cody Zeller is living up to the hype with his inside presence, but foul problems often limits his minutes. Grade: B+

Iowa (11-11, 3-6) — Unpredictable is the word is the word for the erratic Hawkeyes, who lead the league in steals, but rank last in defense in scoring and field goal percentage. Crushing 30-point losses to Ohio State and Michigan State exposed their lack of athleticism, but the Hawkeyes have shown surprising toughness away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Steady Matt Gatens and Roy Marble provide modest firepower. Grade: C-

Michigan (16-6, 6-3) — Four-time freshman of the week Trey Burke, who was recruited out of Ohio State’s backyard, is bidding for newcomer of the year honors. Ironically, Burke was the point guard of Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger in high school.

Powered by Tim Hardaway Jr. (15.2 ppg), the Wolverines have quietly emerged as an unexpected contender. Between road losses at Iowa and Ohio State, the Wolverines stayed alive with an impressive victory at Purdue. Grade: A

Michigan State (17-4, 6-2) — Dominating the glass has been an MSU trademark while coach Tom Izzo was piling up 400 wins. That’s especially true on the offensive boards where Green and Derrick Nix are supplying big bodies and explosive freshman Branden Dawson is expanding his learning curve.

Winning at Wisconsin was big for the muscular Spartans, but losing at Northwestern may be the stunner that killed their title hopes. Grade: A-

Minnesota (16-6, 4-5) — Losing high-powered Trevor Mbakwe to season-ending knee surgery after only seven games cost the Gophers dearly. But they have adjusted from a nightmarish 0-4 start, which included a loss to visiting Iowa. Winning at IU revived them, but the Gophers lack a go-to-guy on offense. Scoring leaders Rodney Williams and Julian Welch are barely averaging double figures and 6-11 Ralph Sampson III remains soft on the offensive boards. Grade: C+

Nebraska (11-9, 3-6) — The resilient Huskers overcame double-digit deficits in the second half of victories over Indiana and Iowa, but ball-handling issues and an anemic offense (last in both categories) are keeping them in the low-rent district. Headed by Bo Spencer (14.8 ppg) and Brandon Richardson, both 80 percent from the line, Nebraska leads the Big Ten in that category. Grade: D+

Northwestern (12-8, 2-6) — Injuries have plagued the fading Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena, where depth and muscle are a chronic issue. John Shurna leads the Big Ten in scoring, but his numbers are going down as the minutes pile up. Freshman Dave Sobolewski ranks in the top 10 nationally in assist-turnover ratio, but physical problems have hampered Drew Crawford.

After a 10-1 start raised hopes of that long-awaited NCAA bid, the Wildcats have stalled thanks to three gut-wrenching losses. Settling into their usual niche of  worst rebounding team in the Big Ten, they seem to be NIT bound in what could be coach Bill Carmody’s last hurrah. Grade: C

Ohio State (19-3, 7-2) — When the Buckeyes win they’re overwhelming, leading the nation in scoring margin. Their average spread of 20-plus includes an 85-63 knockout of Duke, one of three top 10 victims.

Fort Wayne Luers import DeShaun Thomas is averaging 14.7 points, but Sullinger is living up to the preseason hype in spite of back problems. He’s clicking for a near double-double and shooting nearly 60 percent, which helps explain OSU’s 38-game home winning streak. Grade: A

Penn State (10-12, 2-7) — Guard Tim Frazier does it all for the Nittany Lions, but shoulders nearly the entire offensive burden. While scoring at a 17.9 clip he still manages to average six-plus assists. Somehow, Penn State managed to wallop Purdue 65-45, but are fatally flawed by the weakest perimeter offense and defense in the Big Ten. Grade: D

Purdue (15-7, 5-4) — Poor free throw shooting (63.2 percent) and a league-worst 3-point defense have hampered the Boilers, who have also floundered on the defensive boards (only Penn State is worse).

Hummel, who is closing in on 1,600 points, ranks among the league’s top 10 rebounders. His game-winning shot at Northwestern revived Purdue’s hopes of a top-four league finish and he is also shooting 79 percent from the line. Lewis Jackson provides offensive consistency when his aching back isn’t acting up. Grade: C+

Wisconsin (17-5, 6-3) — Three losses at Kohl Center must be a culture shock to the Badgers, who have dropped only eight conference games since the building opened in 1998. Forget about Hoosier Hysteria, the cheeseheads lead the league in home attendance with a 17,000-plus average.

The Badgers suffer from their usual athleticism shortcomings, which means they don’t pack the firepower to challenge Ohio or Michigan State. Grade: B+