The feelings from what happened to the Illinois basketball team in March are still mixed right now.
I am so proud of the way the Illini played and how we fought tooth and nail to get to the Final Four. The disappointment of not winning a national title is still there, though. Those feelings collide and make a perfect storm of me wanting more.
What is good is that this isn’t a fluke. Brad Underwood wants more, too. He isn’t just happy to be toward the top of the mountain. He wants to plant that Orange and Blue flag and claim the pinnacle.
The offseason that Illinois put together has us toward the top of that mountain to start the season. ESPN released their Way-Too-Early Top 25 for the 2026-27 season on Monday.
Illinois isn’t No. 1. That spot belongs to the Florida Gators. No. 2 is the Duke Blue Devils, despite losing an incredible player in Cameron Boozer.
And that is where the list stops before getting to Illinois. That is right, the Illini are No. 3 in the Way-Too-Early Top 25.
Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for the upcoming college basketball season, via @jeffborzello 👀 pic.twitter.com/kHwnHZGmIe
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) July 6, 2026
For me, a big reason that Illinois is ranked that high is that the blend on the roster is perfect.
Underwood isn’t leaning too heavily in one direction or another. Illinois returns three out of the top five players in points, four out of the top five players in rebounds, and two out of the top four players in assists this season.
That is the returning aspect of the roster. Underwood then went out and landed the No. 15 player, No. 2 shooting guard, in the transfer portal. Stefan Vaaks should fit seamlessly with the Illinois roster.
Retention and transfer portal are both strong, and Illinois topped it all off with the No. 6 freshman recruiting class in the country. This group is led by five-star guard Quentin Coleman. It also includes Lucas Morillo and Zavier Zens. All three players will play big minutes this season.
When you have a perfect blend like Underwood has put together, it is hard to ignore the potential of the Illinois basketball program this season. That is why I believe we are the No. 3 team in the country in the Way-Too-Early Top 25.
It is national championship or bust for the Illinois basketball program in 2026-27
I remember the days of just hoping to make the NCAA tournament. I don’t want to forget those days because I want to keep appreciating how good Illinois fans have it today.
With that being said, Underwood has lifted the Illini up, and we aren’t falling down anytime soon. This isn’t a program that just hopes to get to the NCAA tournament. We are a perennial participant.
The success goes beyond being happy about playing the postseason, though. I don’t think we can be happy with just getting to the Sweet 16 anymore, either.
At this point, with the success in recent years and the roster that is laid out for 2026-27, it is national championship or bust. We are a team that strives for greatness, and if we fall short of the title, then it will be a disappointing year. That is where we are at as a program, and it feels so good to be a fan.
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