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JOE SULLIVAN | COLLEGE BASKETBALL

There is big confusion in the Big Ten

Michigan State defeated Northwestern Saturday for its 10th straight win.nam y. huh/AP

Probably the most baffling conference in the befuddling world of college basketball is the Big Ten. The league might be the best example of this undefinable season.

Consider:

■  Michigan State has won 10 consecutive games and is now in first place, but every time I see the Spartans, I see the flaws. Heck, watching them fall behind by 27 points to Northwestern in the first half Saturday was stunning. They were awful. Yes, they came back and won, putting together the biggest comeback in Big Ten history, but I can’t get that first half out of my mind. Or the team that struggled to beat Rutgers at home.

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■   Ohio State, one of the surprise teams of the season, seemed to be emerging as a possible regular-season champion after winning at Purdue, but then lost consecutive road games to Penn State and Michigan.

■   Purdue won 19 in a row but then lost three in a row to Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. It might be difficult to regain the momentum. The Boilers struggled to beat Penn State Sunday night.

■   Nebraska — NEBRASKA, a wrestling school — is in fourth place. It might be dropping soon considering it lost to last-place Illinois Sunday night.

■   Minnesota seemed like a really good team but scandal and injuries have spoiled the season.

■   Northwestern, a preseason top 25 team, is 6-9 in the league.

It’s confusing. I guess Michigan State will win the regular season, but it will be unsatisfying.

On the bright side, there should be some close, hotly contested games in the conference tournament, which will be played at Madison Square Garden. It’s early too, starting Feb. 28, so they could get into the building ahead of the Big East.

.   .   .

Looking back on the last week:

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ELEVATOR GOING UP

Baylor: The Bears have risen from the grave with a five-game winning streak. The last three were all tremendous wins. First they beat Kansas, and followed that up by beating Texas in two overtimes in Austin. Finally, they came from behind to beat Big 12 leader Texas Tech, 59-57, in a tense, physical game that only a team with a lot of grit could win.

Grambling: This could be one of the best stories in college basketball. Four years ago, the Tigers were winless, and they could be considered one of the worst programs in college basketball for three years after that. They did win 16 games in 2016-17 but fired the coach. Now, first-year coach Donte Jackson has the Tigers in first place in the SWAC and on an 11-game winning streak. They had a huge win over preseason favorite Texas Southern, 78-55, in Houston as part of the streak. Let’s hope they win the SWAC tournament; they deserve the automatic bid.

Houston: The Cougars are improving rapidly and are a threat to win the AAC tournament. They have put themselves solidly in the field after beating Cincinnati at home and then crushing Temple in Philadelphia.

Nicholls State: The Colonels from Louisiana, who, if you remember, won at Boston College last season, have used a five-game winning streak to take over first place in the Southland Conference. They’re 18-9 overall and 12-2 in the league.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels finally might be getting it together. At times, they’ve looked like a Final Four team, at others an NIT team. Right now, they’re on a five-game winning streak after an impressive 93-76 victory at Louisville Saturday.

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Saint Bonaventure: The Bonnies are making a case for an NCAA bid with a nine-game winning streak that includes an exhilarating 77-74 victory over Rhode Island Friday night. That ended Rhody’s 21-game winning streak, which was the longest active one in the nation. Bona has never won this many in a row in conference. The A-10 is struggling this season and needs a second bid; Bona is the hope.

Wagner: The Seahawks have won nine of their last 10 to clinch the regular-season title in the NEC. They’re undefeated (14-0) at home on Grimes Hill.

ESCALATOR GOING DOWN

Boston University: The Terriers have lost five in a row and are now 12-15 and 8-8 in the league. At one time, there were considered a threat to win the Patriot League tournament, but it’s difficult to consider that now.

Charlotte: I guess I’m repeating myself, but it’s pretty obvious the switch to Conference USA for football reasons has been a disaster in basketball. The Fightin’ Cornbreads are 5-20 overall and 1-13 in CUSA with a 12-game losing streak.

Cincinnati: A rough week for the Bearcats, losing at Houston and then at home against Wichita State in a rugged contest. That loss broke their 39-game home-court winning streak. The Bearcats will recover; they’re still an elite defensive team.

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are plummeting, with a five-game losing streak and nine of 10 overall. They overachieved earlier in the season, but they’re undermanned and now they’ve reached their correct level.

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Miami: The Hurricanes are not the same without injured guard Bruce Brown. They lost two home games last week and three in a row overall.

New Mexico State: I still expect the Orphans to be a dangerous opponent for some unsuspecting Power 5 school in the NCAA Tournament, but they had a really disappointing week, losing their first two games in the WAC to Utah Valley and Seattle. They’re still in first place but need to refocus.

Oklahoma: The Sooners once landed in This Week’s Final Four; that seems like a long time ago. They’re shooting poorly, and opponents have adapted and are defending point guard Trae Young tenaciously. It has resulted in a five-game losing streak that needs to be stopped before they fall out of the NCAA bracket.

San Jose State: The Spartans might be one of the worst teams in the country, with a 3-22 record and an 0-14 mark in the Mountain West.

Virginia Commonwealth: Mike Rhodes is having a difficult first season as coach (15-12, 7-7). His team has lost four of five, including getting smoked by George Washington, 80-56, Saturday. The program was the best in the Atlantic 10 but has slipped to the middle.

THIS WEEK’S FINAL FOUR: Villanova, Virginia, Arizona, North Carolina. We’ve added in Arizona and North Carolina. Zona has been inconsistent, but this team has Final Four talent. For North Carolina, see above Elevator category.

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THIS WEEK’S NATIONAL CHAMPION: Villanova. The Wildcats overcame injuries and a hostile environment to put Xavier in its place Saturday in Cincinnati. Jay Wright has started to incorporate some new players for added depth and it showed against X. Simply, they played like a championship team.


Joe Sullivan can be reached at joseph.sullivan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeSullivan