In an expected move, the Illinois basketball team jumped up in the latest AP Top 25.
Heading into last week, Illinois found themselves in the No. 5 spot in the rankings. Gonzaga, Baylor, Michigan and Ohio State were all ahead of the Illini, in that order. But after a three-game week, the Illini now sits at No. 4 in the updated AP Top 25.
After the loss to Michigan State on Tuesday, I was thinking the Illini had potential to drop outside of the top 10. The following day, the news started rumbling about Ayo Dosunmu being out a few games. This made me think Illinois could drop more games down the stretch.
Illinois welcomed in Nebraska and sent them back home with a 16-point defeated. It was a good confidence booster of a win for the Illini without Ayo. The next game against No. 23 Wisconsin was going to be tougher. Illinois managed to go into the Kohl Center and come away with a win.
These two victories enabled the Illini to stay in the top five and actually move up to No. 4. Every other team around Illinois also dropped at least one game, so that helped as well. Ohio State, the team that was ahead of Illinois but dropped this week, has lost three-straight contest and now sits at No. 7 in the nation.
What is ahead for the Illinois basketball program?
Two games are left on the schedule. The worst we can finish this season is 18-8 overall and we can’t finish lower than No. 2 in the Big Ten regular season.
With that being said, Illinois’ final two games are again No. 2 Michigan on Tuesday and then No. 7 Ohio State on Saturday. Both of these games are on the road as well.
This is not going to be an easy road entering the Big Ten Tournament, but it will be interesting to see how Illinois fairs against elite competition on the road. We haven’t been truly blown out this season, so I would imagine both games will be close. There are also rumblings that Ayo could be back for the Michigan game on Tuesday. That would be big for the Illini.
I believe Illinois is going to finish the regular season in the top 10. They also have a chance to finish in the top five nationally, which would be the first time that has happened since their national title run in 2004-05.