Illinois #24 in AP Poll
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Uh oh. Please unrank us.
If I'm counting correctly the Illini are 9-7 while ranked this season including 2 wins over Chicago State and Maryland Eastern Shore.
We might need a quick Big10 tourney exit to get back to being unranked for the tourney.
And we have beaten #20, #21, #22, & #23
Undefeated against the 4 teams ahead of us.... But take a breath. That's how polls work. It's about momentum inertia and we are rising from the darkness.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Woohoo! Rejoice, #TeamRankingsMatter! Seriously, these guys aren't going to see a number next to our names and all of a sudden totally change how they play, IMO. If they ARE susceptible to losing that drive/fire and getting complacent, it would be a much deeper-seeded issue than randomly getting recognition from the AP Poll one Monday as the second worst team in the top 25, lol. I'm pretty confident that the Duke game humbled us PLENTY.
Not to mention, this is literally tournament time. Maybe there is an argument to be heard about teams having extra motivation against ranked opponents in the regular season. If a team isn't inherently motivated during tournament time they aren't much of one.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Also, fun fact! Illinois is 18-8 all-time in its first/opening BTT game, but we are 9-2 all-time in our first/opening BTT game when we are RANKED ... so it's a good omen. 
The only losses while ranked (2006 and 2022) were remarkably similar:
- Both took place in the BTT Quarterfinals on Friday.
- Both were played in Indianapolis.
- Both snapped 3-game winning streaks to close out the regular season.
- Both teams that beat us would then go on to lose to Iowa in the BTT Semifinals on Saturday.
- Both Iowa teams that beat the teams that beat us would go on to win the BTT that year.
- Both likely cost us a #3 seed, as both would finish as one of the higher #4 seeds.
- Both Illini squads would go on to have concerning First Round victories before losing to a #5 seed in the Second Round.
2006: Michigan State 61, #9 Illinois 56
2022: Indiana 65, #16 Illinois 63
The only losses while ranked (2006 and 2022) were remarkably similar:
- Both took place in the BTT Quarterfinals on Friday.
- Both were played in Indianapolis.
- Both snapped 3-game winning streaks to close out the regular season.
- Both teams that beat us would then go on to lose to Iowa in the BTT Semifinals on Saturday.
- Both Iowa teams that beat the teams that beat us would go on to win the BTT that year.
- Both likely cost us a #3 seed, as both would finish as one of the higher #4 seeds.
- Both Illini squads would go on to have concerning First Round victories before losing to a #5 seed in the Second Round.
2006: Michigan State 61, #9 Illinois 56
2022: Indiana 65, #16 Illinois 63
2006 - that was the beginning of the end of Bruce Weber. Not going on a run with that team definitely killed momentumAlso, fun fact! Illinois is 18-8 all-time in its first/opening BTT game, but we are 9-2 all-time in our first/opening BTT game when we are RANKED ... so it's a good omen.
The only losses while ranked (2006 and 2022) were remarkably similar:
- Both took place in the BTT Quarterfinals on Friday.
- Both were played in Indianapolis.
- Both snapped 3-game winning streaks to close out the regular season.
- Both teams that beat us would then go on to lose to Iowa in the BTT Semifinals on Saturday.
- Both Iowa teams that beat the teams that beat us would go on to win the BTT that year.
- Both likely cost us a #3 seed, as both would finish as one of the higher #4 seeds.
- Both Illini squads would go on to have concerning First Round victories before losing to a #5 seed in the Second Round.
2006: Michigan State 61, #9 Illinois 56
2022: Indiana 65, #16 Illinois 63
2022 - not having a healthy Trent and grandison really hurt that team down the stretch
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Yep, at the time I was mad that our 2022 team "came out flat" vs. Houston, but in hindsight we were completely outmatched and hobbling toward the end of that season. Looking back, I am just incredibly thankful that team won the regular season title, as that was more than enough!
I think Illinois also beat #18.
Bigtex
- DFW
Lets not play that game. 1-7 against the teams not 20, 21, 22, 23
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
6 of our 8 Quad 1 wins came as an unranked team
Feel like it already happened once this year. Hopefully we learned from it
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Eh, we got ranked #24 on December 29, and our next four games went like this, haha...
W 117-64 vs. Chicago State
W 109-77 at #9 Oregon
W 81-77 at Washington
W 91-52 vs. Penn State (without KJ)
I agree this team might have lost a little bit of fire at some point during this year (no-doubt also influenced by all of the injuries and illnesses), I just don't think there is that much evidence that it was the ranking itself that got to their heads.
As a reminder, here is what Trent looked like in the post game:
Attachments
Dude was a warrior... But I heard having three dimensional vision and depth perception is kinda important when playing basketball.
Still doesn't take away from his career! One of my favorites!
pruman91
- interviewing new NL's daily....I really really am
NCAA College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 Basketball Poll
The official page for the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA men's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2025-26 season.
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KU with 3 votes..............lol........
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Illini2010-11
- Sugar Grove
After that rough 3 game patch in February, I thought it was inconceivable that we would have a resurrection of this thread by the end of regular season. Props to the togetherness of the team (as well as the coaching staff) -- many teams would have packed it in after the Duke game.
Kinda seemed like our roles got confused for a time as we were #13 and headed for the top ten, not just having a number beside our name, but potentially a top 10 number and all the attention that comes with it.
Tre and Bam, maybe some others, sort of got away from what made us successful in that surge to #13. But yes, that is all against the backdrop of KJ and others' injury/illnesses.
foby
- Bonnaroo Land
Just ahead of Akron's 2.NCAA College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 Basketball Poll
The official page for the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA men's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2025-26 season.
KU with 3 votes..............lol........
Not to mention, Houston was number 2 in kenpom and 3 in net and we drew them as the 5 seed LOL
I can kind of understand why they got seeded the way they did (trash schedule with only 1 quad 1 win), but that draw is just awful luck..
if i recall, grandison was hurt too, belo was on his concussion induced downward spiral (but there were some strokes of brilliance in there), etc
I think now that those numbers are replaced by a seed number it breaks the curse. I would have been nervous against Purdue if we were 24 before that game though! Being ranked at home against ranked teams hasn’t done us favors.
Remember last year whenever we kept bouncing between being ranked 14th then jumping to 10th. Then losing falling to 14th. It happened a lot over the season. We were worried about this trend continuing going into the big ten tourney. It didn't and it worked it in the end.
Sometimes you got break the trend and not be afraid to build on success. We are there now!
Sometimes you got break the trend and not be afraid to build on success. We are there now!
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