Illinois #10 in AP Poll

lexwaldez · Mar 18, 2024

JFGsCoffeeMug said:
4 AP top 10 teams
Top 1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds according to Kenpom
3 of last year's Final Four
Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, and SEC tournament champions

Truly the Region of Death

Remember - we didn't get put in the EAST to punish us.
We got put in the EAST with everyone else to punish UCONN.

21ChampaignSt · Mar 18, 2024

Fun fact: This is the 2nd time in 4 years that we've finished the season ranked in the top 10. It's the first time we've done that since 1950-1952.

RabidDawgClassic · Mar 18, 2024

21ChampaignSt said:
Fun fact: This is the 2nd time in 4 years that we've finished the season ranked in the top 10. It's the first time we've done that since 1950-1952.

Did the 2003-04 team not finish in the top 10?

MDchicago · Mar 19, 2024

Another fun fact: We are now #1 in the Big 10 in the total number of appearances in the final AP poll (until UCLA suits up, so enjoy it). Tied for 8th of all programs.

Link: Total appearances Final AP poll

DeonThomas · Mar 19, 2024

MDchicago said:
Another fun fact: We are now #1 in the Big 10 in the total number of appearances in the final AP poll (until UCLA suits up, so enjoy it). Tied for 8th of all programs.

Link: Total appearances Final AP poll

Quick Note:

As I look up/down this list, it is a great indicator of the Top All-Time NCAA Basketball Programs (as corroborated by ESPN/Sagarin a few times over the past 25 years). The names at/near the top are absolutely the teams that have been consistently in the public eye over the past 55-75 years, with UConn being the new kid on the block who is successfully making a name for itself over the past 25 years.

MDchicago · Mar 19, 2024

RabidDawgClassic said:
Did the 2003-04 team not finish in the top 10?

No, we had a nice run in the 2000-2006 era (including 4 near top 10 misses), before Bruce's recruits took over.

2000 21
2001 4
2002 13
2003 11
2004 13
2005 1
2006 13

ChiefGritty · Mar 19, 2024

RabidDawgClassic said:
Did the 2003-04 team not finish in the top 10?

We won the outright B1G title and got a 5 seed and weren't in the top 10, which gives you an indication of how bad the B1G was that year.

It was like this year only without Purdue.

Illwinsagain · Mar 19, 2024

MDchicago said:
Another fun fact: We are now #1 in the Big 10 in the total number of appearances in the final AP poll (until UCLA suits up, so enjoy it). Tied for 8th of all programs.

Link: Total appearances Final AP poll

Interesting that MSU's highest all time final poll ranking is 2. I would have thought they would have been 1 at some point.

21ChampaignSt · Mar 19, 2024

RabidDawgClassic said:
Did the 2003-04 team not finish in the top 10?

2004 finished 13th. We were close to doing it in the early 2000s and 80s, but our top 10 finished were in the span of 5 and 6 years respectively.

Year / Final AP ranking
2024 / #10
2023 / NR
2022 / #19
2021 / #2
---
2005 / #1
2004 / #13
2003 / #11
2002 / #13
2001 / #4
----
1989 / #3
1988 / #16
1987 / #11
1986 / #16
1985 / #12
1984 / #6

Roundball Sage · Mar 19, 2024

This should forever put to rest the question some folks have about whether Illini is a Blue Blood or not. Blue Blood flows richly through the veins of the signature school of the Prairie State.

Illini colors are Orange... and Blue Blood.

RML · Mar 19, 2024

Roundball Sage said:
This late in a season and ranking ahead of all of... Kansas... Kentucky... Duke... and Baylor. (It's been a while).

All of whom, I think, we're given easier paths to the final 4 than we were.

WyattEarp · Mar 19, 2024

Roundball Sage said:
This late in a season and ranking ahead of all of... Kansas... Kentucky... Duke... and Baylor. (It's been a while).

Nice. Time to make a yearly habit of this.

Illini IndyCar Fan · Mar 19, 2024

RML said:
All of whom, I think, we're given easier paths to the final 4 than we were.

Well, Kansas has to beat Samford and Gonzaga/McNeese to even make it to the Sweet 16 — those should be the most popular upset picks on people’s brackets.

And then Purdue gets to try to not lose to another 12 or 13 seed in the Sweet 16.

RML · Mar 19, 2024

Illini IndyCar Fan said:
Well, Kansas has to beat Samford and Gonzaga/McNeese to even make it to the Sweet 16 — those should be the most popular upset picks on people’s brackets.

And then Purdue gets to try to not lose to another 12 or 13 seed in the Sweet 16.

Yeh, I agee with others that out path to the sweet 16 isn't outrageous. But after that we would need to beat not one but two top five teams to get to the final four.
(Brad is here for championships!)

pruman91 · Mar 19, 2024

RML said:
Yeh, I agee with others that out path to the sweet 16 isn't outrageous. But after that we would need to beat not one but two top five teams to get to the final four.
(Brad is here for championships!)

So am I....