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Illinois Basketball: 5 reasons the Illini are a top 10 program

By Rees Woodcock

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 21: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts to a basket against the Loyola Chicago Ramblers during the first half in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 21: Kofi Cockburn #21 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts to a basket against the Loyola Chicago Ramblers during the first half in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 21, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Illinois basketball
Mar 19, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn (21) shoots against Drexel during the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /

Illinois basketball isn’t rebuilding after last season, they are reloading and ready to make another run.

The Illini are poised to do some damage in the college basketball world in 2021-22. Despite some people thinking they aren’t a top 15 program, the Orange and Blue return some great talent and are bringing in great replacements for the departing players. But is Illinois one of the top teams in the nation?

Here are five reasons the Illinois basketball team is a top 10 program.

1. Experience & talent

I would argue that most teams who are at the top of the college basketball world one season will likely take a step backward the following campaign due to loss of talent and experience.

That won’t be the case with the Illini. Illinois returns a great deal of talent from the No. 1 seed NCAA tournament run this past spring.

Out of the top scorers on the team from last season, the Illini return four out of the top six players. This includes three out of the top four scorers. The rebounding and assist departments are following suit. Illinois returns four out of the top five players in each of these statistical categories this season.

Illinois isn’t going to have to rely on freshmen to lead this team either. Five out of eight players who received at least 10 minutes per game last season return to the lineup. Three of those five players have been in college basketball for at least four years. The other two are Kofi Cockburn, who is going on year three, and Andre Curbelo, who is entering his second season.

On top of the experience and talent returning, Illinois has, arguably, the best player in college basketball at the No. 5 spot in Kofi. The man averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game last season. He will, most likely, increase those numbers as he will be a focal point for this Illinois offense.

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