The women's Illinois basketball program is in an enviable spot when compared to the rest of the country, with 11 of their 15 players from last season returning.
Shauna Green and Co. put on a clinic this offseason when it comes to retaining talent on the Illini roster, bringing back highly-touted talent like Berry Wallace and Destiny Jackson, while signing five-star guard Divine Bourrage out of the transfer portal.
It has been a fruitful offseason for the Illini, as they will be looking to improve on their impressive finish last season in the NCAA tournament. This young team improved immensely in their first full season together, and one ESPN analyst is taking notice in the most recent edition of his Bracketology.
The Illini, who finished last season 22-12 and 9-9 in the Big Ten, are expected to make a big leap this coming winter. They will be looking to improve on their very impressive run to the NCAA tournament, where they lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores in the round of 32.
In this new mock-up by ESPN's Charlie Creme, he has the Illini improving from last season by entering the NCAA tournament as the No. 5 seed in region four, where they will take on the Miami (OH) Redhawks.
ESPN’s Charlie Creme has the #Illini women’s basketball team as a No. 5 seed in next year’s tournament.
— Kellen “KellDawg” Sherman (@KShermanSports) April 28, 2026
Illinois made it to the second round last season, losing to Vanderbilt in the round of 32. https://t.co/CSK8JkN7qG pic.twitter.com/6krpFMoLh5
If this projection comes to fruition, it would be Illinois' highest seed since the 1997-98 season, when they finished 20-10 under head coach Theresa Gentz.
Illinois basketball as a No. 5 seed should be terrifying to the rest of the country
Last season, the Illini proved to the world that the youth movement is here and that it is going to be a problem for opposing teams down the line. They turned a roster full of talented underclassmen into a dominating nucleus and are fortunate enough to have that same nucleus back for a second season.
They have a team that has already bought into the culture that Green is building, which has led to them excelling in the simple things like free throws and taking care of the basketball.
The Illini were able to go through the growing pains together as a unit, and now they have a chance to build on that in an era where roster retention is very slim. The best part about it is that they get to add an offense dynamo in the aforementioned Bourrage.
Bourrage, a former member of the LSU Tigers, is one of the most dynamic scorers in the country who can create shots at all three levels on the floor. She has a chance to add a new level of scoring in the backcourt after Wallace and Cearah Parchment lead the team in the frontcourt.
Simply put, if Illinois actually finishes as a No. 5 seed, then they have a chance to be one of the most dangerous No. 5 seeds in the country. Don't look now, because the Orange and Blue are coming.
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