Illinois receives votes in AP Poll, Coaches Poll

[Dan]

@APMarkLong: Indiana, Miami, Gonzaga and Michigan State are ranked ahead of the Gators. Duke fell to sixth in AP poll.

@IllinoisLoyalty @APMarkLong is Illinois ranked?

@APMarkLong @IllinoisLoyalty nope. receiving votes, though

[trevdv]

AP Poll -- 2/18:

1. Indiana (43)
2. Miami (20)
3. Gonzaga (2)
4. Michigan State
5. Florida
6. Duke
7. Michigan
8. Syracuse
9. Kansas
10. Louisville
11. Georgetown
12. Arizona
13. Kansas State
14. Oklahoma State
15. Butler
16. New Mexico
17. Marquette
18. Ohio State
19. Wisconsin
20. Pittsburgh
21. Memphis
22. Colorado State
23. Oregon
24. VCU
25. Notre Dame

Others receiving votes: Saint Louis 58, Minnesota 52, Louisiana Tech 48, Illinois 46, Cincinnati 20, North Carolina State 20, Akron 16, Missouri 4, Middle Tennessee 3, Saint Mary's 2, Maryland 2, Creighton 1, Wichita State 1

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

[Ransom Stoddard]

Others receiving votes:
Saint Louis 58, Minnesota 52, Louisiana Tech 48, Illinois 46, Cincinnati 20, North Carolina State 20, Akron 16, Missouri 4, Middle Tennessee 3, Saint Mary's 2, Maryland 2, Creighton 1, Wichita State 1

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/rankings

[Juice]

We're not ranked, and quite frankly I don't care. Keep doing what we have been doing, win games, and let everything else take care of itself.

[IlliniKat91]

Originally Posted by Juice

We're not ranked, and quite frankly I don't care. Keep doing what we have been doing, win games, and let everything else take care of itself.

This. Win games, make noise, make people eat their words.

[trevdv]

Some Things To Note:

- Michigan State, despite having wins over Michigan, Kansas, and Ohio State, is ranked lower than Gonzaga (who's wins include Portland and Pepperdine).
- Minnesota, currently in a tailspin and having lost to Illinois, receives more votes than the Illini.
- Notre Dame, despite losing by 20+ points to lowly Providence, barely drops at all and remains in the top 25.
- Arizona drops out of the top 10 for the first time since late November.
- Kentucky and North Carolina collect a combined ZERO AP votes, for the first time since... I don't know when!
- Ohio State, after losing by 30 to Wisconsin, is ranked ahead of the Badgers.
- Pittsburgh didn't win a game last week, and dropped one spot in the rankings.

[shelbyrunner80]

it's nice to be ranked for the profile of the program, but, other than that, i don't care.

that said, i'll eat your hat if we're not better than minny, colorado state, and memphis, just to name a few of those ahead of us.

[Gumby]

Wisconsin is the only team with 8 losses and they beat us twice. OSU should not be ranked ahead of Wisconsin.

I saw Jerry Palm had us as a #7 in the West facing Mississippi, with Arizona as the #2 & New Mexico as the #3. Gonzaga is the #1.

If we keep playing the way we are and received that draw, that's as good as you could hope for IMHO.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

[BrooksTaylorFan]

No one remembers where you are ranked in mid-February. All that matters is how you do in the Tourney. Other than what Kramer brought up in regards to having our scores show up on ESPN, rankings mean very little.

[lstewart53x3]

Originally Posted by shelbyrunner80

it's nice to be ranked for the profile of the program, but, other than that, i don't care.

that said, i'll eat your hat if we're not better than minny, colorado state, and memphis, just to name a few of those ahead of us.

I agree. The most important thing right now, though, is the tourney.

And the selection committee looks at the overall résumé of a team, not just what happened the previous week, so we could end the season outside the top 25 in the polls, yet inside the top 15 in the tourney. I'd be okay with that : )

[BrooksTaylorFan]

Originally Posted by Gumby

Wisconsin is the only team with 8 losses and they beat us twice. OSU should not be ranked ahead of Wisconsin.

I saw Jerry Palm had us as a #7 in the West facing Mississippi, with Arizona as the #2 & New Mexico as the #3. Gonzaga is the #1.

If we keep playing the way we are and received that draw, that's as good as you could hope for IMHO.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

I'd rather not play Arizona out west. A bit of a home court advantage like we had over them in 2005. Minny a #4 seed??? That instantly takes away any merit I have in Jerry Palm.

[Illwinsagain]

Originally Posted by Gumby

Wisconsin is the only team with 8 losses and they beat us twice. OSU should not be ranked ahead of Wisconsin.

I saw Jerry Palm had us as a #7 in the West facing Mississippi, with Arizona as the #2 & New Mexico as the #3. Gonzaga is the #1.

If we keep playing the way we are and received that draw, that's as good as you could hope for IMHO.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

This West bracket looks fairly weak. I don't recall UI ever getting in the weakest bracket (I know, it is all in my head).

[Alfonz24]

I want to be ranked. It means we are winning a lot of games.

[WeatherfordForMVP]

The polls are interesting in conjunction with the mock tournament selection discussed in another thread. There, the Illini were a 5-seed, so presumably ranked between 17 and 20 by the mock selection committee. In the AP, they're ranked 29. A fairly significant difference, in my opinion. Here are the teams ranked ahead of Illinois in the polls that the mock selection committee ranked behind them:

18. Ohio State (6 seed)
21. Memphis (11 seed)
22. Colorado State (7 seed)
23. Oregon (6 seed)
24. VCU (8 seed)
25. Notre Dame (8 seed)
26. Saint Louis (9 seed)
27. Minnesota (6 seed)
28. Louisiana Tech (12 seed)

The lowest-team that got a 5 seed or better in the mock selection (other than Illinois) was Pittsburgh at 20. Is that about where Illinois should be?

Now, the mock selection has criteria to consider other than simply who's better than who. But still...which more accurately reflects the Illini compared to the rest of college basketball?

[Botb9]

Originally Posted by WeatherfordForMVP

The polls are interesting in conjunction with the mock tournament selection discussed in another thread. There, the Illini were a 5-seed, so presumably ranked between 17 and 20 by the mock selection committee. In the AP, they're ranked 29. A fairly significant difference, in my opinion. Here are the teams ranked ahead of Illinois in the polls that the mock selection committee ranked behind them:

18. Ohio State (6 seed)
21. Memphis (11 seed)
22. Colorado State (7 seed)
23. Oregon (6 seed)
24. VCU (8 seed)
25. Notre Dame (8 seed)
26. Saint Louis (9 seed)
27. Minnesota (6 seed)
28. Louisiana Tech (12 seed)

The lowest-team that got a 5 seed or better in the mock selection (other than Illinois) was Pittsburgh at 20. Is that about where Illinois should be?

Now, the mock selection has criteria to consider other than simply who's better than who. But still...which more accurately reflects the Illini compared to the rest of college basketball?

They were listed as 18th in that mock selection. So, the second 5 seed. I don't quite understand it either.

[Dan]

Illinois receives votes in Coaches Poll.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaab.../coaches-poll/

[lstewart53x3]

Originally Posted by WeatherfordForMVP

The polls are interesting in conjunction with the mock tournament selection discussed in another thread. There, the Illini were a 5-seed, so presumably ranked between 17 and 20 by the mock selection committee. In the AP, they're ranked 29. A fairly significant difference, in my opinion. Here are the teams ranked ahead of Illinois in the polls that the mock selection committee ranked behind them:

18. Ohio State (6 seed)
21. Memphis (11 seed)
22. Colorado State (7 seed)
23. Oregon (6 seed)
24. VCU (8 seed)
25. Notre Dame (8 seed)
26. Saint Louis (9 seed)
27. Minnesota (6 seed)
28. Louisiana Tech (12 seed)

The lowest-team that got a 5 seed or better in the mock selection (other than Illinois) was Pittsburgh at 20. Is that about where Illinois should be?

Now, the mock selection has criteria to consider other than simply who's better than who. But still...which more accurately reflects the Illini compared to the rest of college basketball?

I think the mock selection better indicates where Illinois is ranked as of today. Of course, there's still a lot of basketball left to be played, and if Illinois isn't able to keep winning games, the mock selection is meaningless.

[bootsy]

I can't figure out how Notre Dame is still ranked. They seem so blah to me. It seems like every week they lose to some horrible Big East team.

[JSpence]

I wonder if Painter included Illinois or Minnesota this week...

[colbeck1]

Originally Posted by Juice

We're not ranked, and quite frankly I don't care. Keep doing what we have been doing, win games, and let everything else take care of itself.

Agreed. Ranking means nothing. Wins mean everything.

[HeartofaChampion]

The top teams this year are highly beatable come March Madness. Wouldn't be surprised if one or no top seeds advanced to the Final 4.

[Dirtbags32]

I don't put much into rankings but Ohio st is something like 1-7 vs top 25 this year. How the heck are they ranked 18? Just garbage.

[bootsy]

Originally Posted by HeartofaChampion

The top teams this year are highly beatable come March Madness. Wouldn't be surprised if one or no top seeds advanced to the Final 4.

True. Considering we beat two of the top 4 teams and had the other(Michigan St) on the ropes during our worst stretch of the season. And Miami, I'm still not a believer. They look like a barely get by the 16 seed and get pounded by an 8 or 9 type team written all over them.

[Hoopster]

Originally Posted by Gumby

Wisconsin is the only team with 8 losses and they beat us twice. OSU should not be ranked ahead of Wisconsin.

I saw Jerry Palm had us as a #7 in the West facing Mississippi, with Arizona as the #2 & New Mexico as the #3. Gonzaga is the #1.

If we keep playing the way we are and received that draw, that's as good as you could hope for IMHO.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology

A dream bracket, IMHO, as soft a route to the E8 as we've ever had, although after the grind of the Big 10, anything this year will look easier

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Originally Posted by WeatherfordForMVP

Now, the mock selection has criteria to consider other than simply who's better than who. But still...which more accurately reflects the Illini compared to the rest of college basketball?

Originally Posted by Botb9

They were listed as 18th in that mock selection. So, the second 5 seed. I don't quite understand it either.

The selection process and polls are very different, with different objectives. The polls are much more of an "update from last week", whereas the selection committee is going to do a more thorough job of looking at the entire season for each team.