This is not a drill, the first AP Top 25 poll of the season is out, and the Illinois basketball team is a part of it.
It seems like just yesterday, the Illini were heading into the second round against a tough Kentucky squad in the NCAA tournament. Well, there have been some changes since then, but shockingly, not as many as the offseason prior.
With some key pieces returning to the team, the AP Top 25 had to have taken that into consideration. On Monday afternoon, they released the preseason AP Top 25 poll and had Illinois ranked No. 17 in the country.
It is always exciting to see the Illini ranked. The validity of the ranking is up in the air, much like the rest of the standings, though. No one really knows how the season will shake out, so you have to take the preseason polls with a grain of salt.
I like Illinois’ chances of being a good team in 2025-26, though. The foundational pieces return, led by point guard Kylan Boswell and big man Tomislav Ivisic. It seems rare to see a player come back for a second year with a program, but I fully expect a big jump for both players, as Terrence Shannon Jr. did in year two under Brad Underwood.
Underwood also did a good job filling in with experienced pieces around these two. Mihailo Petrovic should be our lead point guard, moving Bowell to the No. 2. He is a 22-year-old who has played overseas and for the Serbian National Team.
The addition of some nice transfer portal pieces also justifies the No. 17 ranking to begin the 2025-26 campaign. I love what we have coming in with Andrej Stojakovic out on the wing.
Illinois basketball is going to have to go through the gauntlet in the Big Ten
While the Illini being in the top 25 is exciting, what isn’t exciting is the number of Big Ten teams also ranked to start the season.
The top team in the country is Purdue. Michigan isn’t too far behind at No. 7 in the nation. UCLA checks in at No. 12. Michigan State and Wisconsin round out the top 25 at No. 22 and No. 24, respectively.
The top 25 I mentioned doesn’t even account for Oregon, Ohio State, USC, Washington, Iowa, and Indiana, all of which received votes to be in the preseason rankings.
Illinois’ path back to the NCAA tournament is not going to be easy. Thankfully, we have the horses and experience to achieve that goal and much more.