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Illinois Basketball: Where the Illini opponents are ranked

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 15: Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Center on February 15, 2014 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - FEBRUARY 15: Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at State Farm Center on February 15, 2014 in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Heading into the upcoming season, the Illinois basketball team isn’t exactly a highly regarded program.

According to Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, Illinois is ranked as the No. 85 team in the nation. This would be way outside of the NCAA tournament and, honestly, it is kind of a slap in the face for how much talent this team will put on the court this season.

Here is how their schedule looks with the current rankings of every team in the nation.

Southern No. 265

This should be a cakewalk game for the Illini. I expect to win by 15 or more points.

UT Martin No. 240

Illinois needs to win this game by 15 or more points as well. The first two games are good warmup contests for the rest of the non-conference.

DePaul No. 106

The momentum DePaul built up over the offseason probably has them a little overrated. I don’t see this game being close.

Marshall No. 238

Illinois should be able to sweep past Marshall. They aren’t a very good program and beating them should move the team to 4-0.

Augustana (IL) N/A

This needs to be a win. It doesn’t really count toward the NCAA tournament.

North Carolina Central No. 236

The non-conference continues to be easy with another team below No. 200 in the rankings. Illinois needs to blow this team out as well.

Wake Forest No. 86

Illinois is ranked one spot ahead of Wake Forest to start the season. This is the toughest competition to-date. They should win the game, though.

Northwestern No. 14

The Illini swept the Wildcats last season, so this game is huge. It would be the marker to see where the Illinois program is to-date.

Maryland No. 30

Maryland is a good program but they lost a lot of talent. Don’t be surprised if their No. 30 ranking is too high.

Austin Peay No. 270

Illinois gets an easy competitor when they go up against Austin Peay. Hopefully, they can get past them with ease.

UNLV No. 148

It seems like UNLV is underrated every season. They seem to be ranked a little too low to start the year. Expect this game to be closer than what the rankings say.

Longwood No. 326

The worst team Illinois will play is Longwood. This should be a victory by 20 or more points.

New Mexico State No. 115

New Mexico State was underrated last year and could be dangerous again. Illinois can’t look past this team.

Missouri No. 37

I hate Missouri but No. 37 seems a bit low for how much talent they have entering the season. They should be a top 25 program.

Grand Canyon No. 78

Illinois plays Grand Canyon which should be an easy game, normally. But, this team is actually decent and is ranked ahead of the Illini to start the season.

Minnesota No. 13

The Golden Gophers are extremely overrated. I see them having a letdown year after overachieve last season.

Michigan No. 44

Michigan is always tough and Illinois usually struggles against them. This game will be another tough contest for the Illini.

Iowa No. 55

The Iowa Hawkeyes are a decent program but I think they could be one of the worst in the Big Ten this season. Look for their ranking to drop throughout the year.

Nebraska No. 104

The Illini only play a few Big Ten games where teams are ranked lower than them. This game needs to be a win.

Wisconsin No. 35

This ranking for Wisconsin is way too low. They need to be higher in the rankings because they are Wisconsin.

Michigan State No. 4

Illinois will have a tough test against Michigan State this season. I would be extremely happy with a win here.

Indiana No. 75

The rankings only have Indiana a few spots ahead of Illinois. I think the rivalry will be renewed this season as Illinois is a more competitive team.

Rutgers No. 127

Illinois failed to beat Rutgers at the end of last season. That can’t happen again.

Ohio State No. 97

The Buckeyes are usually good but they had a lot of turmoil over the season offseason. They should be bad this year. This needs to be a win.

Penn State No. 68

Penn State usually beats some teams they shouldn’t but their No. 68 ranking is too high. They will have a down year.

Next: Illini offers top 100 recruit for 2018

Purdue No. 24

The Boilermakers are probably a little underrated. They have some good pieces and I think they can make some noise in the college basketball world.

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