I'm sure there are some factors that play in, such as certain expected discounts for the type of recruited player. The discrepancy between this and an expected ranking (AZ & MSU missing), likely the value that voters offer for continuity/retention.
Illini Basketball 2026-2027
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
Wait, for a second I thought this was for THIS season, and I was like HOLY CRAP.
Illinois Basketball Could Be Set for Home-and-Home Series With Texas
Illinois and Texas could be adding another marquee non-conference matchup to their schedules, with a home-and-home series reportedly close to being finalized.sports.yahoo.com
I absolutely LOVE the series we have had in the last several years. I mean, we could only have dreamed about this during the early Underwood years (and of course we would have been smoked, lol) ... this speaks not just to our staff's willingness to play in tough games, but it also is a clear sign that WE are a big brand within the sport that these other programs want to schedule for these big time games.This is even excluding high-profile tournaments (e.g., UCLA / Virginia / Baylor in Vegas in 2022-2023), one-time big events at places like MSG (e.g., Texas in 2022-2023 and FAU in 2023-2024) or our constant commitment to go play Mizzou on a neutral site each year. Great job by the staff and DIA for proactively getting these awesome matchups!
Tennessee - 2023-24 Knoxville, 2024-25 Champaign, 2025-26 Nashville, 2027-28 (?) Chicago
Alabama - 2024-25 Birmingham, 2025-26 Chicago
Texas Tech - 2025-26 Champaign, 2026-27 Lubbock
UConn - 2025-26 New York City, 2026-27 Chicago
Duke - 2026-27 Durham, 2027-28 Champaign
North Carolina - 2026-27 Nashville (no return game to my knowledge?)
Texas - 2027-28 Austin, 2028-29 Champaign
I still would absolutely love for us to work with Kentucky to jointly troll Indiana and play in Indianapolis with a 50/50 split crowd like at Braggin' Rights. Can you imagine how fuming Hoosiers fans would be walking around town on that Saturday and seeing nothing but Illini and Kentucky fans partying it up at every bar?
Mirk > Larry Bird confirmed 
Do think we need to temper expectations on what Mirk looks like pre-B1G though. Could be limited minutes if he’s barely doing basketball things 30 days out from tip off.
Will make TTU, Duke, and UConn fairly uphill battles. Duke was already going to be a tough ask at Cameron.
Will make TTU, Duke, and UConn fairly uphill battles. Duke was already going to be a tough ask at Cameron.
Battle89
- Cary-Grove, the better Trojan team
Correlation DOES equal causation
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Where is OA? Why is he not in the photo?
RabidDawgClassic
- Los Angeles, CA
First I’ve heard the Fletch is a curmudgeon.
Shame on you CBU!!! Just when I have digested all the recruiting and retention hype on this team, and having become enamored with the orange kool-aid expectations that have oozed into my evaluations and prognostications, here comes the freakin' coach who doesn't know nearly as much as most of us and what does he do??? He has the audacity to raise everyone's expectations and frenzy to abnormal levels, forcing us to lose sleep, discuss the the skill levels of the 12th vs 13th man ad nauseum, denigrate every other coach in collegiate basketball for hours, and, to the very last poster, predict and undefeated season. I think that is a terminable offense. Get rid of him and bring back John Groce!!!
Seriously, why can't we play Duke and Arizona this weekend in the original Assembly Hall? I want blood, torn nets, and dunks over Shaq....now!!! (But what I would truly like to see is Coleman and Williams combine to hold Fears to 4 pts. and 1 asst. as he fouls out in an Illini victory 84-56.)
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Well, maybe the Fears for 4 pts will work, though.