Illinois ranked #13 in AP Poll, #14 in Coaches Poll (12/03 polls)

[JimmyChitwood]

Just shows how much better of a coach Groce is then Calipari

[GBPillini]

Sagarin has Illinois at #25

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/bkt1213.htm

And Pomeroy has them at #35.

http://kenpom.com/

[CharlesLawrence]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue217

Seriously? All our own fans can do is complain about how we arent as good as people think we are? We crack the top 15 and all you can do is discredit the teams accomplishments? SHUT UP! If all you can do is put down a team that has done nothing but achieve this year and talk about how we wont stay there and will drop because we are going to lose games, just go elsewhere. Go find a team you actually want to support. You should be complaining we arent ranked high enough. Regardless of record and who we have or have not played.

This is my nomination for Post of the Year! +1000

[RyanK]

Is there a site that posts each coach's poll? Or are the polls generally kept anonymous?

[BananaShampoo]

This seems about where we should be. I think the only reason UNC is ranked as high as they are is the name. They got pounded by both Butler (whom we handled easily) and Indiana (more like DESTROYED by Indiana). I don't think they still deserve to be ranked.

[Illinoiss]

I love it! Keep it up. I have a feeling we'll beat both Gonzaga and MIZ. We've had a few rough years of late and it's time for a change.

ILL

[WizardBill]

Originally Posted by BananaShampoo

This seems about where we should be. I think the only reason UNC is ranked as high as they are is the name. They got pounded by both Butler (whom we handled easily) and Indiana (more like DESTROYED by Indiana). I don't think they still deserve to be ranked.

Having lived in the RTP area, I HATE that they are still ranked, as rank as they have played. Sort of like ND in football a few years back.

[PVR]

Take care of business tomorrow and blow the doors off on Saturday. We're playing with house money and it's so much fun. How could anyone not enjoy this?

[lexwaldez]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue217

Seriously? All our own fans can do is complain about how we arent as good as people think we are? We crack the top 15 and all you can do is discredit the teams accomplishments? SHUT UP! If all you can do is put down a team that has done nothing but achieve this year and talk about how we wont stay there and will drop because we are going to lose games, just go elsewhere. Go find a team you actually want to support. You should be complaining we arent ranked high enough. Regardless of record and who we have or have not played.

Wow. Talking about needing to relax a little. Nobody is complaining about how we aren't as good as people think. Some people are stating, in their opinion, that we aren't deserving of a top 15 rating. Nobody is saying they're unhappy with it. Hell, I imagine we'll smile and take the headlines. Stating that we should be higher is not the same as complaining. And pretty much everyone has commented on how fun to watch they are, how hard they've worked, and how they're competing. So these folks are supporting the team.

The problem is, when a bunch of folks jump on a bandwagon "We should be top 10!!!" and then we get into B1G and drop a couple, we get a bunch of folks that tend to start screaming "Groce was a flash in the pan! Groce can't coach! FIRE GROCE! I told you he'd never be successful in B1G!" I'm not saying you're one of those folks, I'm just saying it happens.

Some of us try to take a more even approach. As for myself, I'm very VERY happy that I've seen the kids improve (TG, TA, BP and JB just to name a few). And I couldn't be more pleased to see these kids scrap and fight and refuse to quit. It's not just wins and losses for me it's how those games look and feel. If they'd have dropped a couple close games this season I'd still be happy with how far they've come. I think we have a team to be proud of.

IMHO talking about strengths and including potential weaknesses doesn't detract from our support. If I say that we are most certainly NOT going undefeated this season it doesn't mean I'm attacking the team. Hell I think we could win half our B1G games and friends think I'm crazy optimistic. I don't think it's necessary to attack anyone not offering blind support 24/7 either. If you think there's negativity on this thread go check football.

:laugh:

[rrmarte]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue217

Seriously? All our own fans can do is complain about how we arent as good as people think we are? We crack the top 15 and all you can do is discredit the teams accomplishments? SHUT UP! If all you can do is put down a team that has done nothing but achieve this year and talk about how we wont stay there and will drop because we are going to lose games, just go elsewhere. Go find a team you actually want to support. You should be complaining we arent ranked high enough. Regardless of record and who we have or have not played.

Yikes!! Haha. I like your diehard attitude. I just think some of them are trying to look objectively at the rankings.

[kcib8130]

Creighton barely moved after losing at home to a bad Boise State team. First home loss in November for them in about 25 years.

[zoggle101]

Surprised Creighton is ahead of us too but they had a couple really good W's earlier in the season.

BSU almost outed MSU on their home court. Heir top scorer Marks who list Chicago as his hometown has been great.

I thought Oregon and Va Tech would crack the top 25 and GT would be ranked higher even after their stinker with the Vols. They did take an elite IU team to overtime which should hold some merit because it's obvious our Maui championship does by our ranking. Wow, UNC is way too high. They should of dropped out of the polls.

[OskeeMoose]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue217

Seriously? All our own fans can do is complain about how we arent as good as people think we are? We crack the top 15 and all you can do is discredit the teams accomplishments? SHUT UP! If all you can do is put down a team that has done nothing but achieve this year and talk about how we wont stay there and will drop because we are going to lose games, just go elsewhere. Go find a team you actually want to support. You should be complaining we arent ranked high enough. Regardless of record and who we have or have not played.

YIKES!!! Oversensitive much?

So what you're saying is that unless we whole-heartedly believe with every ounce of our beings that the Illini are the 14th (or 13th) best team in the country then we should "Go find a team you actually want to support". Seriously? What if I do actually want to support the Illini? Then what am I supposed to do?

I love being 8-0. I love being back in the top 15. Do I think we are one of the 15 best teams in the country? Sorry, not yet. Would I love to be wrong about that? Absolutely, positively and with every ounce of my being!!!

That being said I do have a brain, a set of eyes, and what I consider to be a better than average basketball IQ. Using those tools, I will complain when I think we're under-ranked, and smile and acknowledge the fact when I think we are over-ranked. And even all of that will be biased by my orange-shaded point of view.

I didn't realize that recognizing these polls as flawed constituted "treason" and that I would forever be fanished from the land of the "true fan."

Relax folks. This season has been a blast so far, but there is a lot of wood yet to be chopped. Hopefully we'll keep winning the close ones, knock off a big boy or two along the way and have a terrific season. But if you made me bet I would say this is likely the highest ranking we'll achieve all year.

If we go 2-0 this week, I will be wrong and will be thrilled about it!!

[OskeeMoose]

Originally Posted by PVR

Take care of business tomorrow and blow the doors off on Saturday. We're playing with house money and it's so much fun. How could anyone not enjoy this?

+1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1

[Shiloh]

Not that I'm complaining or anything, but how can we possibly be ranked this high? AP/coaches must have a pretty high opinion of Georgia Tech...

[BexleyIllini]

I love that we're ranked so high. We now get to see how Coach Groce handles success. I'll take it.

[zoggle101]

Originally Posted by Shiloh

Not that I'm complaining or anything, but how can we possibly be ranked this high? AP/coaches must have a pretty high opinion of Georgia Tech...

They look like a top 75-100 team right now but I get what you're saying.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by danielb927

Highest (AP) ranking since week 6 in 2010-2011, right before the UIC game. We were #12 that week. Before that, it was the final week of the 2005-2006 season, in which we were #13. Quite possible I may have missed one in there, but I don't think so.

^^ (via collegepollarchive)

[2005ILLINIWHITESOX]

Originally Posted by CharlesLawrence

This is my nomination for Post of the Year! +1000

+1...we complain about how poor we were last year for the second half of the season and then when we are finally playing well in a whole new year under a completely new coaching staff we start complaining about how we are ranked too high...doesn't make much sense to me...let's enjoy this ranking and keep getting victories

[Botb9]

We're making some waves. Perception is reality, folks, and people are impressed by this team so far. Could it be smoke and mirrors? Certainly, but let's enjoy it and wave this ranking in front of the faces of recruits nationwide to show them how good Illinois can be!

[danielb927]

Originally Posted by Dan

^^ (via collegepollarchive)

Thanks for the link, I figured that kind of chart would be out there somewhere, but couldn't find it!

[mattcoldagelli]

Originally Posted by OrangeAndBlue217

You should be complaining we arent ranked high enough. Regardless of record and who we have or have not played.

Only if you want to be a total knob.

[Dan]

Originally Posted by RyanK

Is there a site that posts each coach's poll? Or are the polls generally kept anonymous?

http://www.pollspeak.com/component/o.../t1,37/v,/w,5/

65 pollsters.

Illinois was ranked anywhere from #10 to #25 to unranked.

Dick Weiss (NY Daily News) & John Feinstein (NPR) ranked Illinois 10th.

The N-G's Marcus Jackson ranked Illinois 15th.

Dave Borges (New Haven Register) & Hugh Kellenberger (Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi) did not rank Illinois.

[lstewart53x3]

Originally Posted by Dan

http://www.pollspeak.com/component/o.../t1,37/v,/w,5/

65 pollsters. Illinois was ranked anywhere from #10 to #25 to unranked.

Dick Weiss (NY Daily News) & John Feinstein (NPR) ranked Illinois 10th.

The N-G's Marcus Jackson ranked Illinois 15th.

Dave Borges (New Haven Register) & Hugh Kellenberger (Clarion-Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi) did not rank Illinois.

I understand why some people wouldn't have us in the top 15, but how do you not have Illinois ranked at all?

I don't think there are 25 teams that have as good of a resume as we do.

[OskeeMoose]

Originally Posted by 2005ILLINIWHITESOX

+1...we complain about how poor we were last year for the second half of the season and then when we are finally playing well in a whole new year under a completely new coaching staff we start complaining about how we are ranked too high...doesn't make much sense to me...let's enjoy this ranking and keep getting victories

I really don't think people are "complaining" about being ranked too high, just pointing out that in reality we're probably not quite there yet. As for me, I absolutely love being ranked too high....assuming the team handles it properly and doesn't start buying into it too much.