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Illinois Basketball: 3 effects of the Illini cracking the top 25

By Rees Woodcock

CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: Illinois Fighting Illini graduate assistant Kwa Jones high fives Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) during player introductions before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - JANUARY 11: Illinois Fighting Illini graduate assistant Kwa Jones high fives Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) during player introductions before the start of the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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CHAMPAIGN, IL – JANUARY 11: Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood claps after a play during the Big Ten Conference college basketball game between the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the Illinois Fighting Illini on January 11, 2020, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

It has been a long time coming, but the Illinois basketball team has finally cracked the top 25 in the Associated Press poll.

Illinois hasn’t even sniffed the top 25 the past two seasons. We weren’t even close to a .500 record, let alone the rankings. It has been a long time since we have donned the rankings for the top 25. The last time the Illini were ranked in top 25 was back during the 2014-2015 campaign. We were 7-1 and landed at No. 24.

The Illini are once again No. 24 in the nation after the most recent AP poll that was released on Monday. Illinois has started the season off 12-5 overall and 4-2 in the Big Ten. This start includes wins over No. 5 Michigan, Purdue, Wisconsin and a resurging Rutgers program. Those are all solid wins in my book.

It has been fun to watch Illinois this season. Was I a little worried after our ugly loss to Missouri in the Braggin’ Rights game? Of course, but this team is going to have bad losses sometimes. Every team in college basketball has a bad loss on their resume.

Over the past eight games, the Illini are 6-2. That is an impressive stretch considering the tough teams they have played. I believe we will continue winning too. This launch up the rankings isn’t going to be a one-week thing. We are here to stay.

Here are three effects of the Illini cracking the top 25.

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