It wasn’t a huge jump, but the men’s Illinois basketball team managed to crawl up the rankings on Monday.
The Illini entered the past week 8-3 overall and 1-1 in the Big Ten. We were also the No. 24 team in the country. Being ranked was a solid feat, as Illinois was 2-2 in the past four contests.
With only one game on the slate in the past week, Illinois had to look good to keep the upward momentum going. That is exactly what happened.
Chicago State felt the wrath of the Illini talent on Sunday. After the first four minutes of the game, Illinois turned on the jets and had the biggest blowout win of the season. The Cougars didn’t have an answer for all of the Illinois size and talent, and this resulted in a 117-64 win.
Going 1-0 for the week, and having other teams falter, helped Illinois move up two spots in the AP Top 25 poll. We are now the No. 22 team in the country.
Illinois was helped in this poll by both Ole Miss and San Diego St. losing this past week. The Rebels lost by 17 points to Memphis, which dropped them eight spots to No. 24. The Aztecs dropped a game to Utah State, which sent them plummeting out of the rankings.
Illinois basketball has a chance to skyrocket up the AP Top 25 with a successful week
The AP Top 25 means less today than it did a few years ago. The NET Rankings are what really matters, but it is still nice to see how high Illinois can make it in the traditional AP Top 25.
Sitting at No. 22, Illinois would see a huge jump in the rankings if we go 2-0 this week. The first game is on the road against No. 9 Oregon.
The Ducks are 12-1 this season with the only defeat coming against UCLA back on December 8. They have beaten a ranked Texas A&M and Alabama squad this season too. Oregon is currently No. 10 in the NET Rankings as well.
Washington is the second game of the week. Illinois stays on the west coast to take on the Huskies. Washington is having an okay year at 9-4. They are also ranked No. 105 in the NET Rankings. This would still be a Quad 2 game for the Illini.
If Illinois can go 2-0 against these two Big Ten newcomers, then I think we are going to be in the top 12 and possibly the top 10. That is a big ask, but to be the best, you have to beat the best.