Miles Bridges drives on IU's Robert Johnson

Now that the fall semester just a couple weeks way for most Big Ten program, we finally have a pretty good idea on the final roster makeups for the 2017-18 men's basketball season.

With that in mind, below we take a stab at the conference power rankings. Note that these are "power rankings"---not predicted order of finish. With the unbalanced schedule, not everyone has an equal slate of opponents. Later this week we'll use these power rankings to show which schools may have the easiest or most difficult conference schedules this winter.

This season brings an easy choice for No. 1 but the order from 2-9 was quite difficult. In other words, not much separates those next eight teams. That could be a function of this being a down year again for the Big Ten, but one where the middle of the league is very formidable.

Here's our ranking order with key personnel changes:

1) Michigan State

Key Returnees: Miles Bridges, Nick Ward, Joshua Langford, Cassius Winston, Kenny Goins, Lourawls Nairn, Matt McQuaid

Significant losses: Eron Harris, Alvin Ellis

Impact Additions: PF Robert Carter (medical redshirt/UNLV transfer), C Gavin Schilling (medical redshirt), PF/C Jaren Jackson (5)

Comment: This is a top three national preseason team and easily the conference favorite. Spartans go from having little frontcourt depth to a plethora of inside options. A big key is whether Winston steps up as a sophomore and begins to play some semblance of defense.

2) Minnesota

Key Returnees: Amir Coffey, Nate Mason, Reggie Lynch, Dupree McBrayer, Jordan Murphy, Eric Curry

Significant losses: Akeem Springs

Impact additions: PG Isaiah Washington (70)

Comment: Gophers kind of snuck up on everyone last year, so feels funny putting Richard Pitino's team this high. But almost everyone is back and at a talented, pure point in Washington. Coffey is the most talented and if he gets even better this season, Gophers will be tough to beat, home or away.

3) Maryland

Key Returnees: Justin Jackson, Anthony Cowan, Kevin Huerter, Ivan Bender, Michael Cekovsky, Jared Nickens, Dion Wiley

Significant losses: Melo Trimble (NBA), Jaylen Brantley (transfer), Damote Dodd

Impact additions: F Sean Obi (Duke transfer), C Bruno Fernando (52), CG Darryl Morsell (63)

Comment: Melo Trimble made a big splash as a freshman but truth be told, he was a bit more hype than reality after that first season. He shot a low percentage and for a guy with the ball in his hands so often, he sported a poor assist to turnover ratio. Cowan is more of a real point and has a good group of shooters around him to find on the perimeter. There's also a nice a mix of veteran and newcomer bigs. Best of all Justin Jackson is a potential all-league player.

4) Northwestern

Key Returnees: Bryant McIntosh, Scottie Lindsey, Vic Law, Dererk Pardon, Gavin Skelly, Barret Benson, Isiah Brown

Significant losses: Sanjay Lumpkin, Nathan Taphorn

Impact additions: PF Aaron Falzon (medical redshirt), PF Rapolas Ivanauskas (medical redshirt)

Comment: The core of the first NCAA team in school history is back and Chris Collins now has Aaron Falzon and highly regarded redshirt frosh Rapolas Ivanauskas. Both were cleared to return to full court action last month. Lindsey tapered off some last year, maybe due to his mono issue. If he finds his early conference form, watch out. Wildcats have to play this season at Allstate Arena, far from Evanston. Welsh-Ryan is going through extensive renovation.

5) Purdue

Key Returnees: Vincent Edwards, Isaac Haas, Dakota Mathias, Carsen Edwards, Ryan Cline, P.J. Thompson

Significant losses: Caleb Swanigan (NBA)

Impact additions: 2G Nojel Eastern (95), SF Aaron Wheeler (NR), C Matt Haarms (redshirt), PF Jacquil Taylor (medical redshirt)

Comment: No player meant as much to a team as Swanigan, the Big Ten POY. But everyone else is back, so this should be a top five team, right? Carsen Edwards showed something in his Team USA exploits this summer and we all know how good Vince Edwards should be as a senior. The question marks are whether Haas shines with more minutes or bogs things down. Depth is also a concern, so watch how much Eastern, Taylor and Haarms bring to the table early.

6) Wisconsin

Key Returnees: Ethan Happ, D'Mitrik Trice, Brevin Pritzl, Khalil Iverson, Alex Illikainen, Andy Van Vliet, Charles Thomas

Significant losses: Bronson Koenig, Nigel Hayes, Vitto Brown, Zak Showalter, Jordan Hill (transfer)

Impact additions: PF Nathan Reuvers (72), PG Brad Davison (97)

Comment: At first we had the Badgers down at No. 8 but history shows that's a mistake. Happ is an all-league type guy. Trice was better than expected last year and should be ready to take over at point. We know how good a shooter Pritzl can be when he gets rolling and Iverson is a major athlete who won't score often but should defend well at small forward. Reuvers provides instant help and may start his first year at the four. What has to happen is what usually happens in Madison -- a frontcourt guy who hasn't done a lot to this point, suddenly emerges. Illikainen, Thomas, Van Vliet are your candidates. If just one of them really develops, Wisconsin won't take the step back many expect.

7) Indiana

Key Returnees: Robert Johnson, De'Ron Davis, Josh Newkirk, Juwan Morgan, Devonte Green, Curtis Jones, Freddie McSwain

Significant losses: Thomas Bryant (NBA), OG Anunoby (NBA), James Blackmon (NBA)

Impact additions: F Collin Hartman (medical redshirt), SF Justin Smith (94), PF Clifton Moore (102), 2G Al Durham (NR)

Comment: Taking care of the basketball and point guard remain a question but this is a more experienced team than IU has usually fielded. Hoosiers may start a pair of fifth-year seniors (Hartman and Newkirk), a four-year starter (Johnson), another returning starter (Morgan) and have a promising soph in the middle in Davis. The age of this team should help this win close games. Defense has been a problem for awhile but now you bring in a proven, defensive minded coach in Archie Miller. Plus the NBA departures who played all season weren't exactly known as good defenders. Getting Green and/or Jones to step up would go a long way to making this an NCAA team.

8) Michigan

Key Returnees: Mo Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, Duncan Robinson, Austin Davis, Jon Teske, Xavier Simpson

Significant losses: Lose Derrick Walton, Zak Irvin, DJ Wilson (NBA)

Impact additions: PG Charles Matthews (UK transfer), PG Jaaron Simmons (Ohio grad transfer), 2G Jordan Poole (NR)

Comment: This may be the hardest team to project this year. Lose arguably the team's three best players but bring in a couple key transfers and still have a core of vets that have been through the wars. If a couple from the sophomore class develop this should be a much better team than No. 8.

9) Iowa

Key Returnees: Jordan Bohannon, Tyler Cook, Nicholas Baer, Cordel Pemsl, Isaiah Moss, Brady Ellingson, Ahmad Wagner, Dom Uhl

Significant losses: Peter Jok

Impact additions: 2G Connor McCaffery (NR), C Luka Garza (NR)

Comment: This is lower than many will project but having a lot of nice players only gets you so far. Hawks need someone to become an all-league type. Tyler Cook maybe? Someone to make the plays down the stretch. Until that happens this team won't have a guy they had last year in Jok that will draw enough defensive attention to make life easier for the other four guys on the floor.

10) Penn State

Key Returnees: Tony Carr, Shep Garner, Lamar Stevens, Mike Watkins, Julian Moore, Josh Reaves, Nazeer Bostick

Significant losses: Payton Banks (transfer), Terrence Samuel (transfer)

Impact additions: None of note

Comment: Time for excuses is over. Pat Chambers and company must take a real step this season. They should with their talented sophomore class led by Carr, Watkins and Stevens. Last year Carr and Shep Garner both shot under 38 percent. That can't happen again. Depth is a real question mark following two transfers from rotation guys. Lack of a noteworthy recruiting class didn't help. Nazeer Bostick was a solid prep player and if he develops that would be huge.

11) Illinois

Key Returnees: Leron Black, Michael Finke, Te'Jon Lucas, Aaron Jordan, Kipper Nichols

Significant losses: Malcolm Hill, Tracy Abrams, Jalen Coleman-Lands (transfer), Maverick Morgan, Mike Thorne

Impact additions: Mark Alstork (Wright St grad transfer), PG Mark Smith (79), PG Trent Frazier (85)

Comment: Illini must replace their top three scorers and will have to rely a lot on young point guards, so not much is expected this season. Alstork should help offensively and the young points are talented and should be good in time. New staff should bring energy and there's enough here for the Illini to be very dangerous in Champaign.

12) Ohio State

Key Returnees: Keita Bates-Diop, Jae'Sean Tate, Kam Williams, C.J. Jackson, Micah Potter

Significant losses: JaQuan Lyle (transfer), Marc Loving, Trevor Thompson, Derek Funderburk (academics)

Impact additions: C Kaleb Wesson (81), SF Kyle Young (90), SF Musa Jallow (NR)

Comment: Major purge here that led to Thad Matta's surprise departure. With Tate, Bates-Diop and Williams there's still enough for this team to be dangerous on the right night, but depth is obviously going to be a season long concern.

13) Nebraska

Key Returnees: Glynn Watson, Jack McVeigh, Evan Taylor, Anton Gill, Isaiah Roby, Jordy Tshimanga

Significant losses: Tai Webster, Michael Jacobson (transfer), Ed Morrow (transfer), Nick Fuller (transfer), Jeriah Horne (transfer)

Impact additions: PF Isaac Copeland (Georgetown transfer), 2G Thomas Allen (109), 2G Nana Akenten (119), 2G Jessie Palmer (Miami-OH transfer), C Duke Okeke (Winthrop grad transfer)

Comment: There's just been too much roster turnover for this program to build any real continuity. Morrow and Jacobson were rather significant guys to lose to transfer. Watson is solid and Allen and Akenten are talented guard additions that could play alongside Watson in the backcourt. McVeigh is a good shooting forward and there are some veterans with good size inside. If this team surprises, it may be because Copeland finally realizes his potential. The 6-foot-9 Georgetown transfer won't be eligible till after first semester.

14) Rutgers

Key Returnees: Corey Sanders, Mike Williams, Deshawn Freeman, Issa Thiam, Candido Sa, Eugene Omoruyi, Shaquille Doorson

Significant losses: Nigel Johnson (transfer), C.J. Gettys, Jonathan Laurent (transfer)

Impact additions: PG Souf Mensah (juco), PF Myles Johnson (NR)

Comment: Things are getting better at Rutgers but until proven otherwise, this is still your cellar pick. Sanders, Williams and Freeman, however, are a more proven trio than the school has had in awhile. Having said that, Johnson's transfer was a real blow. Also there's not a lot of help for Freeman inside and he's just 6-foot-7.