Illini Basketball History

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#1      

Fighter of the Nightman

Fighter of the Nightman
Chicago, IL
Fighter of the Nightman
Felt kind of silly starting a new thread, but I also didn't want to take up that much room in the regular Illini Basketball 2025-26 thread with all of this. So @Dan, feel free to move, but I thought a thread discussing Illini Basketball history might be interesting.

What I was specifically interested in was total wins vs. AP top 10 opponents by coaching regime. It's obviously just one statistic and the rankings change by the end of the season, but it's still a cool visual of how good things have been overall with Underwood, IMO. For reference, these will be our opportunities this season based off of the preseason poll:

Nov. 11 - #10 Texas Tech at #17 Illinois
Nov. 28 - #17 Illinois vs. #4 UConn (New York, NY)
Jan. 24 - #17 Illinois at #1 Purdue
Feb. 27 - #7 Michigan at #17 Illinois

Anyway, enjoy, and I hope this brings back some fond memories for fans who have seen more seasons than I have (first one I remember at all is 2001, and the first one I really remember watching with my dad is 2003). Also, here are the totals by coach:

Brad Underwood: 14 wins in 8 seasons
John Groce: 3 wins in 5 seasons
Bruce Weber: 8 wins in 9 seasons
Bill Self: 5 wins in 3 seasons
Lon Kruger: 2 wins in 4 seasons
Lou Henson: 19 wins in 21 seasons

So Underwood and Self are the only ones that averaged more than one top 10 victory per year. Given you can't really control who you play and only get so many chances, that's pretty damn impressive if you ask me!

Brand Underwood
2017-2018 to Present

2024-2025
W 109-77 at #9 Oregon (Illini #22)

2023-2024
W 72-69 vs. #4 Iowa State (NCAAT Sweet Sixteen - Boston, MA) [Illini #10]

2022-2023
W 85-78 in OT vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY) [Illini #17]
W 79-70 vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV) [Illini #19]

2021-2022
W 56-55 vs. #10 Michigan State (Illini #24)

2020-2021
W 91-88 in OT vs. #9 Ohio State (BTT Championship - Indianapolis, IN) [Illini #3]
W 82-71 vs. #5 Iowa (BTT Semifinals - Indianapolis, IN) [Illini #3]
W 73-68 at #7 Ohio State (Illini #4)
W 76-53 at #2 Michigan (Illini #4)
W 80-75 vs. #7 Iowa (Illini #19)
W 83-68 at #10 Duke (Illini #6)

2019-2020
W 62-56 at #9 Penn State (Illini NR)
W 71-62 vs. #5 Michigan (Illini NR)

2018-2019
W 79-74 vs. #9 Michigan State (Illini NR)

2017-2018
N/A


John Groce
2012-2013 to 2016-2017

2016-2017
N/A

2015-2016
N/A

2014-2015
N/A

2013-2014
N/A

2012-2013
W 74-72 vs. #1 Indiana (Illini NR)
W 74-55 vs. #8 Ohio State (Illini #11)
W 85-74 at #10 Gonzaga (Illini #13)


Bruce Weber
2003-2004 to 2011-2012

2011-2012
W 42-41 vs. #10 Michigan State (Illini NR)
W 79-74 vs. #5 Ohio State (Illini NR)

2010-2011
N/A

2009-2010
W 78-73 vs. #5 Michigan State (Illini NR)

2008-2009
W 71-67 in OT at #9 Purdue (Illini NR)

2007-2008
N/A

2006-2007
N/A

2005-2006
W 60-50 vs. #7 Michigan State (Illini #6)

2004-2005
W 72-57 vs. #4 Louisville (NCAAT Final Four - St. Louis, MO) [Illini #1]
W 90-89 in OT vs. #9 Arizona (NCAAT Elite Eight - Rosemont, IL) [Illini #1]
W 91-73 vs. #1 Wake Forest (Illini #5)

2003-2004
N/A


Bill Self
2000-2001 to 2002-2003

2002-2003
N/A

2001-2002
W 72-61 vs. #8 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [Illini #9]

2000-2001
W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State (Illini #7)
W 81-73 vs. #7 Arizona (Chicago, IL) [Illini #5]
W 87-79 vs. #7 Seton Hall (Illini #9)
W 90-80 vs. #6 Maryland (Maui, HI) [Illini #8]


Lon Kruger
1996-1997 to 1999-2000

1999-2000
W 84-70 vs. #8 Kansas (Chicago, IL) [Illini #20]

1998-1999
N/A

1997-1998
N/A

1996-1997
W 96-90 vs. #7 Minnesota (Illini NR)


Lou Henson
1975-1976 to 1995-1996

1995-1996
N/A

1994-1995
W 72-64 vs. #10 Michigan State (Illini NR)

1993-1994
N/A

1992-1993
W 78-77 vs. #9 Iowa (Illini NR)

1991-1992
N/A

1990-1991
W 102-96 vs. #10 LSU (Illini NR)

1989-1990
W 90-78 vs. #9 Purdue (Illini #19)
W 101-93 vs. #4 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [Illini #5]

1988-1989
W 89-86 vs. #7 Syracuse (NCAAT Elite Eight - Minneapolis, MN) [Illini #3]
W 89-73 at #8 Michigan (Illini #4)
W 70-67 at #3 Indiana (Illini #8)
W 96-84 vs. #6 Michigan (Illini #2)
W 87-84 vs. #10 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [Illini #6]

1987-1988
W 81-75 vs. #7 Kansas (Maui, HI) [Illini NR]

1986-1987
W 69-67 vs. #3 Indiana (Illini #14)

1985-1986
N/A

1984-1985
W 73-70 vs. #10 Oklahoma (Illini #7)
W 81-64 vs. #5 Oklahoma (Springfield, MA) [Illini #2]

1983-1984
N/A

1982-1983
N/A

1981-1982
W 77-65 vs. #8 Minnesota (Illini NR)
W 64-57 at #5 Minnesota (Illini NR)

1980-1981
N/A

1979-1980
N/A

1978-1979
W 57-55 vs. #1 Michigan State (Illini #4)
W 71-57 vs. #7 Texas A&M (Lexington, KY) [Illini #15]
W 64-61 vs. #8 Syracuse (Lexington, KY) [Illini #15]

1977-1978
N/A

1976-1977
N/A

1975-1976
N/A
 
#3      
Fighter of the Nightman
RollChief said:
I like the theme for this thread, as this is a really great reference check to place yourself historically among other Illini eras.

@Fighter of the Nightman , one question I have as it relates to your signature - how many more wins do we need compared to Purdue to #catchpurdue?
Click to expand...
According to Sports Reference, Illinois is 1,927-1,076 (.642) all-time, and Purdue is 1,971-1,076 (.647). So, unfortunately we need Purdue to really have some down years, haha.

To put that in context and honor the spirit of this thread, it's really depressing how much the late Weber, John Groce and early Underwood years tanked our all-time stats. I mean, this change is staggering, and we are still on our way to fixing it. Frankly, the fact that our .642 all-time includes this crap stretch in the middle is actually pretty impressive!

2020 to Present: 139-62 (.692)
2010 to 2019: 181-159 (.532)
2000 to 2009: 252-91 (.735)

And that 2000-2009 stretch included a 16-19 season! Lol, a 37-2 season really helps with the totals. ;)
 
#4      
Fighter of the Nightman
One more fun stat that is super easy to pull thanks to this site is the most weeks in the AP Poll all-time. I get that at the end of the day, people are mostly going to remember conference championships and deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. However, over a long period of time, I would argue that consistently seeing a number next to the name of a given program starts to subconsciously shape your impression of how much "tradition" that program has ... way more than most people would think. I practically guarantee you that the program you tend to overrate when it comes to all-time prestige was particularly good in the decade where you were in elementary school and junior high, haha. For me, those programs are Pitt and Wake Forest ... I just always remember them being good and ranked and identified them as a "basketball schools" when I was a kid, but their all-time traditions really aren't very great.

With that said, it would be interesting to see if these rankings by decade coincide with people's perceptions of these programs during those decades! I showed the top 10 for each decade and then also all of the current Big Ten teams, just for fun.

ALL-TIME AP POLL APPEARANCES
(1949 to 2026 Preseason)
1. Kentucky - 992
2. North Carolina - 963
3. Duke - 915
4. Kansas - 877
5. UCLA - 744
6. Louisville - 665
7. Arizona - 619
8. Indiana - 580
9. Syracuse - 550
10. Illinois - 521
...
11. Michigan State - 510
12. Purdue - 454
13. Michigan - 452
14. Ohio State - 448
15. Maryland - 446
22. Iowa - 387
30. Wisconsin - 329
43. Minnesota - 236
49. USC - 205
56. Oregon - 168
58. Washington - 162
109. Rutgers - 41
114. Nebraska - 34
123. Penn State - 25
139. Northwestern - 18


1949 to 1959
1. Kentucky - 129
2. NC State - 113
3. Illinois - 97
4. Oklahoma State - 82
5. Kansas State - 81
6. Kansas - 74
7. Indiana - 73
8. Saint Louis - 70
9. Oklahoma City University - 68
10. Bradley - 67 (Woohoo, go Peoria!!)
...
16. UCLA - 60
26. Minnesota - 42
27. Iowa - 41
30. Washington - 38
32. Michigan State - 34
35. Maryland - 31
40. Ohio State - 27
48. USC - 18
72. Northwestern - 8
83. Purdue - 5
83. Wisconsin - 5
83. Penn State - 5
110. Nebraska - 1
121. Michigan - 0
121. Oregon - 0
121. Rutgers - 0


1960 to 1969
1. Duke - 101
2. Kentucky - 87
2. UCLA - 87
4. Cincinnati - 72
5. North Carolina - 69
6. Ohio State - 66
7. Vanderbilt - 54
8. Davidson - 46
9. Bradley - 45 (Go Braves!)
10. Kansas - 44
...
13. Michigan - 40
14. Illinois - 38
27. Indiana - 23
29. USC - 21
33. Iowa - 18
36. Purdue - 17
42. Minnesota - 14
68. Michigan State - 4
68. Nebraska - 4
71. Wisconsin - 3
71. Northwestern - 3
77. Maryland - 1
83. Oregon - 0
83. Washington - 0
83. Rutgers - 0
83. Penn State - 0


1970 to 1979
1. UCLA - 168
2. Marquette - 167
3. North Carolina - 162
4. Louisville - 127
5. Notre Dame - 122
6. Kentucky - 112
7. Maryland - 103
8. Indiana - 94
9. NC State - 93
10. Alabama - 89
...
11. USC - 79
12. Michigan - 76
25. Minnesota - 44
33. Purdue - 31
33. Ohio State - 31
37. Michigan State - 27
39. Rutgers - 26
49. Washington - 21
53. Oregon - 19
59. Illinois - 17
66. Iowa - 14
85. Wisconsin - 5
103. Nebraska - 1
112. Penn State - 0
112. Northwestern - 0


1980 to 1989
1. North Carolina - 163
2. Georgetown - 138
3. Kentucky - 123
3. Syracuse - 123
5. Iowa - 114
6. Indiana - 109
7. UNLV - 108
8. Louisville - 101
9. Duke - 99
10. Oklahoma - 98
...
11. Illinois - 93
15. Michigan - 77
18. Purdue - 68
22. UCLA - 66
27. Maryland - 44
29. Ohio State - 39
39. Minnesota - 24
56. Washington - 14
62. Michigan State - 11
98. Wisconsin - 0
98. USC - 0
98. Oregon - 0
98. Rutgers - 0
98. Nebraska - 0
98. Penn State - 0
98. Northwestern - 0


1990 to 1999
1. Arizona - 177
2. North Carolina - 166
3. Kansas - 163
4. Kentucky - 159
5. Duke - 157
5. UCLA - 157
7. Arkansas - 143
8. Syracuse - 137
9. UConn - 130
10. Indiana - 127
...
11. Michigan - 117
13. Purdue - 95
17. Michigan State - 87
19. Iowa - 81
23. Maryland - 68
24. Minnesota - 67
35. Illinois - 46
37. Ohio State - 45
42. Wisconsin - 33
55. Nebraska - 23
73. Oregon - 11
77. USC - 10
77. Penn State - 10
88. Washington - 5
106. Rutgers - 0
106. Northwestern - 0


2000 to 2009
1. Duke - 188
2. Kansas - 167
3. North Carolina - 144
3. UConn - 144
5. Arizona - 142
6. Texas - 141
7. Florida - 137
8. Michigan State - 136
9. Pitt - 128
10. Oklahoma - 127
...
11. Illinois - 125
15. UCLA - 113
17. Maryland - 105
19. Wisconsin - 96
27. Indiana - 72
30. Ohio State - 65
33. Washington - 52
36. Purdue - 47
37. Iowa - 36
40. Oregon - 43
42. USC - 39
70. Minnesota - 11
87. Michigan - 5
102. Rutgers - 0
102. Nebraska - 0
102. Penn State - 0
102. Northwestern - 0


2010 to 2019
1. Kansas - 193
2. Duke - 191
3. Kentucky - 172
4. North Carolina - 155
5. Michigan State - 151
6. Gonzaga - 143
7. Villanova - 142
8. Louisville - 136
9. Arizona - 124
10. Ohio State - 123
...
11. Wisconsin - 121
14. Purdue - 106
18. Michigan - 93
28. Indiana - 62
33. Maryland - 59
37. Oregon - 54
42. UCLA - 44
44. Iowa - 40
53. Illinois - 29
53. Minnesota - 29
58. Washington - 26
78. USC - 12
88. Nebraska - 5
91. Northwestern - 4
108. Rutgers - 0
108. Penn State - 0


2020 to 2026 Preseason
1. Kansas - 112
2. Houston - 107
3. Gonzaga - 104
4. Baylor - 103
5. Duke - 102
6. Tennessee - 100
7. Kentucky - 94
8. Auburn - 87
9. Purdue - 85
10. Arizona - 82
...
11. Illinois - 76
14. Wisconsin - 66
19. Michigan State - 59
23. Ohio State - 52
24. UCLA - 49
27. Michigan - 44
28. Oregon - 41
31. Maryland - 35
32. Iowa - 33
42. USC - 26
48. Indiana - 20
57. Rutgers - 15
62. Penn State - 10
68. Washington - 6
72. Minnesota - 5
78. Northwestern - 3


So, Illinois' national rank by decade is below ... seems pretty clear that it takes extraordinary circumstances to stop Illini Basketball from being consistently good. After every "off" decade like the post-Slush Fund 1970s or post-Bruce Pearl 1990s or the middling 2010s, we quickly rebound to being top 15. For those curious, our "golden era" stretch of 2000-2006 had us at #3 in the nation with 118 weeks in the AP Poll or 89.4% of all weeks - barely behind #2 Arizona (120) #1 Duke (132).

1950s: #3
1960s: #14
--- Slush Fund Scandal ---
1970s: #59
1980s: #11
--- Bruce Pearl Incident ---
1990s: #35
2000s: #11
--- Late Weber / John Groce Years ---
2010s: #29
2020s: #11
---> All-Time: #10

One last kind of interesting thing to look at would be the top 5 programs in the Big Ten by decade using these metrics:

ALL-TIME AP POLL APPEARANCES
(1949 to 2026 Preseason)
1. UCLA - 744
2. Indiana - 580
3. Illinois - 521
4. Michigan State - 510
5. Purdue - 454

1949 to 1959
1. Illinois - 97
2. Indiana - 73
3. UCLA - 60
4. Minnesota - 42
5. Iowa - 41

1960 to 1969
1. UCLA - 87
2. Ohio State - 66
3. Michigan - 40
4. Illinois - 38
5. Indiana - 23

1970 to 1979
1. UCLA - 168
2. Maryland - 103
3. Indiana - 94
4. USC - 79
5. Michigan - 76

1980 to 1989
1. Iowa - 114
2. Indiana - 109
3. Illinois - 93
4. Michigan - 77
5. Purdue - 68

1990 to 1999
1. UCLA - 157
2. Indiana - 127
3. Michigan - 117
4. Purdue - 95
5. Michigan State - 87

2000 to 2009
1. Michigan State - 136
2. Illinois - 125
3. UCLA - 113
4. Maryland - 105
5. Wisconsin - 96

2010 to 2019
1. Michigan State - 151
2. Ohio State - 123
3. Wisconsin - 121
4. Purdue - 106
5. Michigan - 93

2020 to 2026 Preseason
1. Purdue - 85
2. Illinois - 76
3. Wisconsin - 66
4. Michigan State - 59
5. Ohio State - 52

So yeah, Indiana hasn't been a top 5 program within the Big Ten in like 30 years. :cool:
 
#5      
Brosky
I'll never forget the Indiana game when Nick nailed that 30 footer at the buzzer to win the game for the flyin' Illini. Man, did that ever take the Indiana fans out of the game! Bardo inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Bobby Knight did the unthinkable: He didn't guard him, allowing Bardo to make a 2/3 length of the floor baseball pass to Nick, who turned and fired. The horn sounded when his shot was in flight. Incredible!
 
#6      
Fighter of the Nightman
One super random thing I was wondering about was if the teams we ASSUME drive attendance at various BTT locations actually DO drive attendance. I haven't done enough research to draw any true conclusions, but I thought it would be interesting to look at the largest crowds for the BTT Semifinals each year. As a reminder, both Semifinals games on the Saturday are sold as one session. I did this for two reasons:

1) There is always a drop in attendance from the Semifinals on Saturday to the Championship Game on Sunday.
2) It includes a larger sample size of teams, hopefully making any patterns easier to see.

And yes, I listed teams in my subjective order of how much I estimate those fan bases contributed to the crowd! :ROFLMAO:

Color Key
Chicago, IL - United Center
Indianapolis, IN - Gainbridge Fieldhouse
New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Washington, DC - Capital One Arena
Minneapolis, MN

2005: 23,697 ... Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota
2001: 23,418 ... Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Penn State
2000: 22,011 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Penn State
2013: 21,824 ... Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
1998: 21,711 ... Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota
1999: 20,695 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
2007: 20,471 ... Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio State
2003: 20,248 ... Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State
2018: 19,812 ... Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue
2002: 18,996 ... Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa
2006: 18,730 ... Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa
2014: 18,626 ... Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin
2019: 18,468 ... Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota
2012: 18,451 ... Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin
2010: 18,424 ... Purdue, Illinois, Ohio State, Minnesota
2011: 18,377 ... Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State
2016: 18,339 ... Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland
2015: 18,088 ... Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Maryland
2023: 18,059 ... Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State
2022: 17,762 ... Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa
2008: 17,520 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota
2004: 15,903 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin
2009: 15,728 ... Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State
2024: 14,138 ... Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska
2017: 13,984 ... Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern
2025: 13,612 ... Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland
2020: N/A (cancelled due to COVID-19)
2021: N/A (limited attendance due to COVID-19)

So first thing that obviously needs to be said is that the United Center has had a capacity between 20k and 22k during this timeframe, whereas Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indy has been in the 18k to 19k range ... so take that for what it's worth. However, what really jumps out at me is how (with a few exceptions) attendance has dropped over time. The worst crowds ever for Indianapolis and Chicago were both the most recent times it was there (2025 and 2023, respectively).


... And by location to better see any patterns:

Chicago, IL
2005: 23,697 ... Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota
2001: 23,418 ... Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Penn State
2000: 22,011 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Penn State
2013: 21,824 ... Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
1998: 21,711 ... Illinois, Michigan, Purdue, Minnesota
1999: 20,695 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
2007: 20,471 ... Illinois, Wisconsin, Purdue, Ohio State
2003: 20,248 ... Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State
2014: 18,626 ... Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin
2019: 18,468 ... Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota
2016: 18,339 ... Purdue, Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland
2023: 18,059 ... Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Penn State

I don't think it's a coincidence that 7 of the top 8 largest crowds are years when the Illini made it to Saturday or that the attendance when Illinois is there is almost 15% larger! It's noticeable that the one non-Illini year with a good crowd (2013) featured three schools with large followings in the Chicagoland Area.

Indianapolis, IN
2002: 18,996 ... Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa
2006: 18,730 ... Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Iowa
2012: 18,451 ... Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin
2010: 18,424 ... Purdue, Illinois, Ohio State, Minnesota
2011: 18,377 ... Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State
2015: 18,088 ... Michigan State, Wisconsin, Purdue, Maryland
2022: 17,762 ... Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, Iowa
2008: 17,520 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota
2004: 15,903 ... Illinois, Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin
2009: 15,728 ... Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State
2025: 13,612 ... Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland

Less of a pattern here than with Chicago, but It's probably no surprise that the two best crowds featured Indiana plus relatively nearby schools. However, consider my kind of shocked that 2009 was the second worst crowd ever, considering it had instate Purdue, Illinois (who traditionally travels very well to Indy) and both nearby MSU and OSU!

Probably too small of a sample size to say anything about the ones below. I'll be really curious to see what the crowd is like when this thing is in Vegas, lol...

New York, NY
2018: 19,812 ... Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State, Purdue

Washington, DC
2017: 13,984 ... Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Northwestern

Minneapolis, MN
2024: 14,138 ... Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, Nebraska
 
#7      
illinifan1987
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Felt kind of silly starting a new thread, but I also didn't want to take up that much room in the regular Illini Basketball 2025-26 thread with all of this. So @Dan, feel free to move, but I thought a thread discussing Illini Basketball history might be interesting.

What I was specifically interested in was total wins vs. AP top 10 opponents by coaching regime. It's obviously just one statistic and the rankings change by the end of the season, but it's still a cool visual of how good things have been overall with Underwood, IMO. For reference, these will be our opportunities this season based off of the preseason poll:

Nov. 11 - #10 Texas Tech at #17 Illinois
Nov. 28 - #17 Illinois vs. #4 UConn (New York, NY)
Jan. 24 - #17 Illinois at #1 Purdue
Feb. 27 - #7 Michigan at #17 Illinois

Anyway, enjoy, and I hope this brings back some fond memories for fans who have seen more seasons than I have (first one I remember at all is 2001, and the first one I really remember watching with my dad is 2003). Also, here are the totals by coach:

Brad Underwood: 14 wins in 8 seasons
John Groce: 3 wins in 5 seasons
Bruce Weber: 8 wins in 9 seasons
Bill Self: 5 wins in 3 seasons
Lon Kruger: 2 wins in 4 seasons
Lou Henson: 19 wins in 21 seasons

So Underwood and Self are the only ones that averaged more than one top 10 victory per year. Given you can't really control who you play and only get so many chances, that's pretty damn impressive if you ask me!

Brand Underwood
2017-2018 to Present

2024-2025
W 109-77 at #9 Oregon (Illini #22)

2023-2024
W 72-69 vs. #4 Iowa State (NCAAT Sweet Sixteen - Boston, MA) [Illini #10]

2022-2023
W 85-78 in OT vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY) [Illini #17]
W 79-70 vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV) [Illini #19]

2021-2022
W 56-55 vs. #10 Michigan State (Illini #24)

2020-2021
W 91-88 in OT vs. #9 Ohio State (BTT Championship - Indianapolis, IN) [Illini #3]
W 82-71 vs. #5 Iowa (BTT Semifinals - Indianapolis, IN) [Illini #3]
W 73-68 at #7 Ohio State (Illini #4)
W 76-53 at #2 Michigan (Illini #4)
W 80-75 vs. #7 Iowa (Illini #19)
W 83-68 at #10 Duke (Illini #6)

2019-2020
W 62-56 at #9 Penn State (Illini NR)
W 71-62 vs. #5 Michigan (Illini NR)

2018-2019
W 79-74 vs. #9 Michigan State (Illini NR)

2017-2018
N/A


John Groce
2012-2013 to 2016-2017

2016-2017
N/A

2015-2016
N/A

2014-2015
N/A

2013-2014
N/A

2012-2013
W 74-72 vs. #1 Indiana (Illini NR)
W 74-55 vs. #8 Ohio State (Illini #11)
W 85-74 at #10 Gonzaga (Illini #13)


Bruce Weber
2003-2004 to 2011-2012

2011-2012
W 42-41 vs. #10 Michigan State (Illini NR)
W 79-74 vs. #5 Ohio State (Illini NR)

2010-2011
N/A

2009-2010
W 78-73 vs. #5 Michigan State (Illini NR)

2008-2009
W 71-67 in OT at #9 Purdue (Illini NR)

2007-2008
N/A

2006-2007
N/A

2005-2006
W 60-50 vs. #7 Michigan State (Illini #6)

2004-2005
W 72-57 vs. #4 Louisville (NCAAT Final Four - St. Louis, MO) [Illini #1]
W 90-89 in OT vs. #9 Arizona (NCAAT Elite Eight - Rosemont, IL) [Illini #1]
W 91-73 vs. #1 Wake Forest (Illini #5)

2003-2004
N/A


Bill Self
2000-2001 to 2002-2003

2002-2003
N/A

2001-2002
W 72-61 vs. #8 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [Illini #9]

2000-2001
W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State (Illini #7)
W 81-73 vs. #7 Arizona (Chicago, IL) [Illini #5]
W 87-79 vs. #7 Seton Hall (Illini #9)
W 90-80 vs. #6 Maryland (Maui, HI) [Illini #8]


Lon Kruger
1996-1997 to 1999-2000

1999-2000
W 84-70 vs. #8 Kansas (Chicago, IL) [Illini #20]

1998-1999
N/A

1997-1998
N/A

1996-1997
W 96-90 vs. #7 Minnesota (Illini NR)


Lou Henson
1975-1976 to 1995-1996

1995-1996
N/A

1994-1995
W 72-64 vs. #10 Michigan State (Illini NR)

1993-1994
N/A

1992-1993
W 78-77 vs. #9 Iowa (Illini NR)

1991-1992
N/A

1990-1991
W 102-96 vs. #10 LSU (Illini NR)

1989-1990
W 90-78 vs. #9 Purdue (Illini #19)
W 101-93 vs. #4 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [Illini #5]

1988-1989
W 89-86 vs. #7 Syracuse (NCAAT Elite Eight - Minneapolis, MN) [Illini #3]
W 89-73 at #8 Michigan (Illini #4)
W 70-67 at #3 Indiana (Illini #8)
W 96-84 vs. #6 Michigan (Illini #2)
W 87-84 vs. #10 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [Illini #6]

1987-1988
W 81-75 vs. #7 Kansas (Maui, HI) [Illini NR]

1986-1987
W 69-67 vs. #3 Indiana (Illini #14)

1985-1986
N/A

1984-1985
W 73-70 vs. #10 Oklahoma (Illini #7)
W 81-64 vs. #5 Oklahoma (Springfield, MA) [Illini #2]

1983-1984
N/A

1982-1983
N/A

1981-1982
W 77-65 vs. #8 Minnesota (Illini NR)
W 64-57 at #5 Minnesota (Illini NR)

1980-1981
N/A

1979-1980
N/A

1978-1979
W 57-55 vs. #1 Michigan State (Illini #4)
W 71-57 vs. #7 Texas A&M (Lexington, KY) [Illini #15]
W 64-61 vs. #8 Syracuse (Lexington, KY) [Illini #15]

1977-1978
N/A

1976-1977
N/A

1975-1976
N/A
Click to expand...
Seeing John Groce's stats make me sick
Vomit Puke GIF by The Late Late Show with James Corden
 
#8      
ptgrd23
Brosky said:
I'll never forget the Indiana game when Nick nailed that 30 footer at the buzzer to win the game for the flyin' Illini. Man, did that ever take the Indiana fans out of the game! Bardo inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Bobby Knight did the unthinkable: He didn't guard him, allowing Bardo to make a 2/3 length of the floor baseball pass to Nick, who turned and fired. The horn sounded when his shot was in flight. Incredible!
Click to expand...
I was there . Went from thunder to dead quiet. Well worth the 3 hour drive in the snow from C-U.

:cool:
 
#9      
Brosky
I'm guessing you too will always remember that game.
 
#10      
Fighter of the Nightman
As we kick off our 2026 campaign, a random bit of more recent Illini basketball history ... our record in the last 10 games vs. our Big Ten rivals. New West Coast schools might not reach the 10-game threshold, so I cut off results at 2020. I also included Mizzou for fun.

INDIANA
6-4
2025 - W 94-69 at Indiana
2024 - W 70-62 vs. Indiana
2023 - L 68-71 at #14 Indiana
2023 - L 65-80 vs. Indiana
2022 - L 63-65 vs. Indiana (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
2022 - W 74-57 at Indiana
2021 - W 75-71 in OT at Indiana
2021 - W 69-60 vs. Indiana
2020 - W 67-66 vs. Indiana
2019 - L 74-92 vs. Indiana

IOWA
9-1
2025 - W 106-94 vs. Iowa (BTT Second Round in Indianapolis, IN)
2025 - W 81-61 vs. Iowa
2024 - W 73-61 at Iowa
2024 - W 95-85 vs. Iowa
2023 - L 79-81 at Iowa
2022 - W 74-72 vs. #24 Iowa
2022 - W 87-83 at Iowa
2021 - W 82-71 vs. #5 Iowa (BTT Semifinals in Indianapolis, IN)
2021 - W 80-75 vs. #7 Iowa
2020 - W 78-76 vs. #18 Iowa

MARYLAND
2-8
2025 - L 65-88 vs. #11 Maryland (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
2025 - L 71-90 vs. Maryland
2024 - W 85-80 at Maryland
2024 - L 67-76 vs. Maryland
2023 - L 66-71 at #22 Maryland
2022 - L 65-81 at Maryland
2022 - W 76-64 vs. Maryland
2021 - L 63-66 vs. Maryland
2020 - L 66-75 vs. #9 Maryland
2020 - L 58-59 at #3 Maryland

MICHIGAN
9-1
2025 - W 93-73 at #15 Michigan
2024 - W 97-68 vs. Michigan
2024 - W 88-73 at Michigan
2023 - W 91-87 in 2OT vs. Michigan
2022 - W 93-85 at Michigan
2022 - W 68-53 vs. Michigan
2021 - W 76-53 at #2 Michigan
2020 - W 64-62 at Michigan
2020 - W 71-62 vs. #5 Michigan
2019 - L 69-79 vs. #2 Michigan

MICHIGAN STATE
4-6
2025 - L 65-79 vs. #11 Michigan State
2025 - L 78-80 at #12 Michigan State
2024 - L 80-88 at Michigan State
2024 - W 71-68 vs. Michigan State
2023 - W 75-66 vs. Michigan State
2022 - W 79-74 at #19 Michigan State
2022 - W 56-55 vs. #10 Michigan State
2021 - L 72-81 at Michigan State
2020 - L 69-70 vs. Michigan State
2020 - L 56-76 at #14 Michigan State

MINNESOTA
9-1
2025 - W 95-74 at Minnesota
2024 - W 105-97 vs. Minnesota
2023 - W 78-69 vs. Minnesota
2023 - W 78-60 at Minnesota
2022 - W 76-53 at Minnesota
2021 - W 94-63 at Minnesota
2021 - W 92-65 vs. Minnesota
2020 - W 59-51 vs. Minnesota
2019 - L 75-86 at Minnesota
2019 - W 95-68 vs. Minnesota

NEBRASKA
9-1
2025 - L 74-80 in OT at Nebraska
2024 - W 98-87 vs. Nebraska (BTT Semifinals in Minneapolis, MN)
2024 - W 87-84 in OT vs. Nebraska
2023 - W 72-56 vs. Nebraska
2023 - W 76-50 at Nebraska
2022 - W 81-71 at Nebraska
2021 - W 86-70 vs. Nebraska
2021 - W 77-72 in OT at Nebraska
2020 - W 71-59 vs. Nebraska
2019 - W 71-64 vs. Nebraska

NORTHWESTERN
7-3
2025 - W 83-74 vs. Northwestern
2025 - L 66-70 in OT at Northwestern
2024 - L 91-96 in OT at Northwestern
2024 - W 96-66 vs. Northwestern
2023 - W 66-62 vs. #21 Northwestern
2023 - L 60-73 at Northwestern
2022 - W 73-66 vs. Northwestern
2022 - W 59-56 at Northwestern
2021 - W 73-66 vs. Northwestern
2021 - W 81-56 at Northwestern

OHIO STATE
6-4
2025 - W 87-79 vs. Ohio State
2024 - W 77-74 vs. Ohio State (BTT Quarterfinals in Minneapolis, MN)
2024 - W 87-75 at Ohio State
2023 - L 60-72 at Ohio State
2023 - W 69-60 vs. Ohio State
2022 - L 83-86 vs. #22 Ohio State
2021 - W 91-88 in OT vs. #9 Ohio State (BTT Championship in Indianapolis, IN)
2021 - W 73-68 at #7 Ohio State
2021 - L 81-87 vs. #21 Ohio State
2020 - L 63-71 at #19 Ohio State

OREGON
1-0 Since 2020
2025 - W 109-77 at #9 Oregon

PENN STATE
5-5
2025 - W 91-52 vs. Penn State
2024 - L 89-90 at Penn State
2023 - L 76-79 vs. Penn State (BTT Second Round in Chicago, IL)
2023 - L 81-93 at Penn State
2023 - L 59-74 vs. Penn State
2022 - W 60-55 vs. Penn State
2021 - W 79-65 vs. Penn State
2021 - W 98-81 at Penn State
2020 - W 62-56 at #9 Penn State
2019 - L 56-72 at Penn State

PURDUE
4-6
2025 - W 88-80 vs. #18 Purdue
2024 - L 71-77 vs. #3 Purdue
2024 - L 78-83 at #1 Purdue
2023 - L 71-76 at #5 Purdue
2022 - L 68-84 at #3 Purdue
2022 - L 88-96 in 2OT vs. #4 Purdue
2021 - W 66-58 vs. Purdue
2020 - W 79-62 at Purdue
2020 - W 63-37 vs. Purdue
2019 - L 56-73 at #14 Purdue

RUTGERS
6-4
2025 - L 73-82 at Rutgers
2024 - W 86-63 vs. Rutgers
2024 - W 76-58 at Rutgers
2023 - W 69-60 vs. #24 Rutgers
2022 - L 59-70 at Rutgers
2022 - W 86-51 vs. Rutgers
2021 - W 90-68 vs. Rutgers (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)
2021 - L 88-91 at #19 Rutgers
2020 - L 57-72 at Rutgers
2020 - W 54-51 vs. Rutgers

UCLA
2-0 Since 2020
2025 - W 83-78 vs. UCLA
2023 - W 79-70 vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)

USC
0-1 Since 2020
2025 - L 72-82 vs. USC

WASHINGTON
1-0 Since 2020
2025 - W 81-77 at Washington

WISCONSIN
9-1
2025 - L 74-95 at #11 Wisconsin
2025 - W 86-80 vs. #20 Wisconsin
2024 - W 93-87 vs. Wisconsin (BTT Championship in Minneapolis, MN)
2024 - W 91-83 at Wisconsin
2023 - W 61-51 at Wisconsin
2023 - W 79-69 vs. #14 Wisconsin
2022 - W 80-67 vs. #11 Wisconsin
2021 - W 74-69 at #23 Wisconsin
2021 - W 75-60 vs. #19 Wisconsin
2020 - W 71-70 at Wisconsin

MISSOURI
6-4
2025 - W 80-77 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2024 - W 97-73 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2023 - L 71-93 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2022 - W 88-63 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2021 - L 78-81 at Missouri
2020 - L 56-63 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2019 - L 63-79 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2018 - W 70-64 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2017 - W 75-66 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
2016 - W 68-63 vs. Missouri (St. Louis, MO)

LAST TIME WE SWEPT SEASON SERIES
Minimum of 2 Times Played
(Keep in mind it is actually somewhat rare to play a team twice since conference expansion started :cry: )

Iowa - 2025
Michigan - 2024
Nebraska - 2024
Ohio State - 2024
Rutgers - 2024
Wisconsin - 2024
Minnesota - 2023
Michigan State - 2022
Northwestern - 2022
Indiana - 2021
Penn State - 2021
Purdue - 2020
Maryland - Never

Oregon - N/A
UCLA - N/A
USC - N/A
Washington - N/A

A winning record in the last 10 or a current winning streak vs. everyone except for MSU (5-5 record and a losing streak) and Maryland (who has utterly dominated us, lol).
 
#11      
Curbelo Fanboy
Brosky said:
I'll never forget the Indiana game when Nick nailed that 30 footer at the buzzer to win the game for the flyin' Illini. Man, did that ever take the Indiana fans out of the game! Bardo inbounded the ball from the baseline, and Bobby Knight did the unthinkable: He didn't guard him, allowing Bardo to make a 2/3 length of the floor baseball pass to Nick, who turned and fired. The horn sounded when his shot was in flight. Incredible!
Click to expand...
Perhaps my favorite Illini moment excluding tournament games. When he lets it go the place goes dead silent. All you hear is the horn & then the "swish" of the ball thru the net. And then the screaming & yelling from the few Illini fans there & the bench. Just a glorious moment.
 
#12      
the juiceman cometh
Fighter of the Nightman said:
PENN STATE
5-5
2025 - W 91-52 vs. Penn State
2024 - L 89-90 at Penn State
2023 - L 76-79 vs. Penn State (BTT Second Round in Chicago, IL)
2023 - L 81-93 at Penn State
2023 - L 59-74 vs. Penn State
2022 - W 60-55 vs. Penn State
2021 - W 79-65 vs. Penn State
2021 - W 98-81 at Penn State
2020 - W 62-56 at #9 Penn State
2019 - L 56-72 at Penn State
Click to expand...
I love 99% of this post, and can even live with the Maryland of it all because at this point it's just this absurdity that's taken on a life of its own, but this reminder of us losing to Penn St. three times in the same season...

eyes please GIF
 
#13      
mysterio2525
the juiceman cometh said:
I love 99% of this post, and can even live with the Maryland of it all because at this point it's just this absurdity that's taken on a life of its own, but this reminder of us losing to Penn St. three times in the same season...

eyes please GIF
Click to expand...
it's time to flip MSU, Penn State and USC in the right direction. Maryland just owns us and it's clearly the result of vodoo
 
#14      
BrownTown
the juiceman cometh said:
I love 99% of this post, and can even live with the Maryland of it all because at this point it's just this absurdity that's taken on a life of its own, but this reminder of us losing to Penn St. three times in the same season...

eyes please GIF
Click to expand...
Those 3 Penn State wins were absolutely clinical.

When you find yourself feeling absolutely helpless in the path of a weaker foe...Just gotta tip your cap
 
#15      
Fighter of the Nightman
the juiceman cometh said:
I love 99% of this post, and can even live with the Maryland of it all because at this point it's just this absurdity that's taken on a life of its own, but this reminder of us losing to Penn St. three times in the same season...

eyes please GIF
Click to expand...
BrownTown said:
Those 3 Penn State wins were absolutely clinical.

When you find yourself feeling absolutely helpless in the path of a weaker foe...Just gotta tip your cap
Click to expand...
Watching PSU punk us at home right after we beat #2 Texas at MSG was certainly vomit-worthy, and our loss at PSU later in the year was another crap outing. However, while all three were bad, that third loss in the BTT when we desperately needed to try to get off that 8/9 seed line with a few wins, takes the cake by far for me. I was there, and the crowd at the UC was 90% Illini fans. We needed that win for many reasons, but also simply out of PRIDE to refuse to let PSU sweep us all three games in our own backyard. YUCK, lol.
 
#17      
Tommy Gun
Fighter of the Nightman said:
One more fun stat that is super easy to pull thanks to this site is the most weeks in the AP Poll all-time. I get that at the end of the day, people are mostly going to remember conference championships and deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. However, over a long period of time, I would argue that consistently seeing a number next to the name of a given program starts to subconsciously shape your impression of how much "tradition" that program has ... way more than most people would think. I practically guarantee you that the program you tend to overrate when it comes to all-time prestige was particularly good in the decade where you were in elementary school and junior high, haha. For me, those programs are Pitt and Wake Forest ... I just always remember them being good and ranked and identified them as a "basketball schools" when I was a kid, but their all-time traditions really aren't very great.

With that said, it would be interesting to see if these rankings by decade coincide with people's perceptions of these programs during those decades! I showed the top 10 for each decade and then also all of the current Big Ten teams, just for fun.

ALL-TIME AP POLL APPEARANCES
(1949 to 2026 Preseason)
1. Kentucky - 992
2. North Carolina - 963
3. Duke - 915
4. Kansas - 877
5. UCLA - 744
6. Louisville - 665
7. Arizona - 619
8. Indiana - 580
9. Syracuse - 550
10. Illinois - 521
...
11. Michigan State - 510
12. Purdue - 454
13. Michigan - 452
14. Ohio State - 448
15. Maryland - 446
22. Iowa - 387
30. Wisconsin - 329
43. Minnesota - 236
49. USC - 205
56. Oregon - 168
58. Washington - 162
109. Rutgers - 41
114. Nebraska - 34
123. Penn State - 25
139. Northwestern - 18


1949 to 1959
1. Kentucky - 129
2. NC State - 113
3. Illinois - 97
4. Oklahoma State - 82
5. Kansas State - 81
6. Kansas - 74
7. Indiana - 73
8. Saint Louis - 70
9. Oklahoma City University - 68
10. Bradley - 67 (Woohoo, go Peoria!!)
...
16. UCLA - 60
26. Minnesota - 42
27. Iowa - 41
30. Washington - 38
32. Michigan State - 34
35. Maryland - 31
40. Ohio State - 27
48. USC - 18
72. Northwestern - 8
83. Purdue - 5
83. Wisconsin - 5
83. Penn State - 5
110. Nebraska - 1
121. Michigan - 0
121. Oregon - 0
121. Rutgers - 0


1960 to 1969
1. Duke - 101
2. Kentucky - 87
2. UCLA - 87
4. Cincinnati - 72
5. North Carolina - 69
6. Ohio State - 66
7. Vanderbilt - 54
8. Davidson - 46
9. Bradley - 45 (Go Braves!)
10. Kansas - 44
...
13. Michigan - 40
14. Illinois - 38
27. Indiana - 23
29. USC - 21
33. Iowa - 18
36. Purdue - 17
42. Minnesota - 14
68. Michigan State - 4
68. Nebraska - 4
71. Wisconsin - 3
71. Northwestern - 3
77. Maryland - 1
83. Oregon - 0
83. Washington - 0
83. Rutgers - 0
83. Penn State - 0


1970 to 1979
1. UCLA - 168
2. Marquette - 167
3. North Carolina - 162
4. Louisville - 127
5. Notre Dame - 122
6. Kentucky - 112
7. Maryland - 103
8. Indiana - 94
9. NC State - 93
10. Alabama - 89
...
11. USC - 79
12. Michigan - 76
25. Minnesota - 44
33. Purdue - 31
33. Ohio State - 31
37. Michigan State - 27
39. Rutgers - 26
49. Washington - 21
53. Oregon - 19
59. Illinois - 17
66. Iowa - 14
85. Wisconsin - 5
103. Nebraska - 1
112. Penn State - 0
112. Northwestern - 0


1980 to 1989
1. North Carolina - 163
2. Georgetown - 138
3. Kentucky - 123
3. Syracuse - 123
5. Iowa - 114
6. Indiana - 109
7. UNLV - 108
8. Louisville - 101
9. Duke - 99
10. Oklahoma - 98
...
11. Illinois - 93
15. Michigan - 77
18. Purdue - 68
22. UCLA - 66
27. Maryland - 44
29. Ohio State - 39
39. Minnesota - 24
56. Washington - 14
62. Michigan State - 11
98. Wisconsin - 0
98. USC - 0
98. Oregon - 0
98. Rutgers - 0
98. Nebraska - 0
98. Penn State - 0
98. Northwestern - 0


1990 to 1999
1. Arizona - 177
2. North Carolina - 166
3. Kansas - 163
4. Kentucky - 159
5. Duke - 157
5. UCLA - 157
7. Arkansas - 143
8. Syracuse - 137
9. UConn - 130
10. Indiana - 127
...
11. Michigan - 117
13. Purdue - 95
17. Michigan State - 87
19. Iowa - 81
23. Maryland - 68
24. Minnesota - 67
35. Illinois - 46
37. Ohio State - 45
42. Wisconsin - 33
55. Nebraska - 23
73. Oregon - 11
77. USC - 10
77. Penn State - 10
88. Washington - 5
106. Rutgers - 0
106. Northwestern - 0


2000 to 2009
1. Duke - 188
2. Kansas - 167
3. North Carolina - 144
3. UConn - 144
5. Arizona - 142
6. Texas - 141
7. Florida - 137
8. Michigan State - 136
9. Pitt - 128
10. Oklahoma - 127
...
11. Illinois - 125
15. UCLA - 113
17. Maryland - 105
19. Wisconsin - 96
27. Indiana - 72
30. Ohio State - 65
33. Washington - 52
36. Purdue - 47
37. Iowa - 36
40. Oregon - 43
42. USC - 39
70. Minnesota - 11
87. Michigan - 5
102. Rutgers - 0
102. Nebraska - 0
102. Penn State - 0
102. Northwestern - 0


2010 to 2019
1. Kansas - 193
2. Duke - 191
3. Kentucky - 172
4. North Carolina - 155
5. Michigan State - 151
6. Gonzaga - 143
7. Villanova - 142
8. Louisville - 136
9. Arizona - 124
10. Ohio State - 123
...
11. Wisconsin - 121
14. Purdue - 106
18. Michigan - 93
28. Indiana - 62
33. Maryland - 59
37. Oregon - 54
42. UCLA - 44
44. Iowa - 40
53. Illinois - 29
53. Minnesota - 29
58. Washington - 26
78. USC - 12
88. Nebraska - 5
91. Northwestern - 4
108. Rutgers - 0
108. Penn State - 0


2020 to 2026 Preseason
1. Kansas - 112
2. Houston - 107
3. Gonzaga - 104
4. Baylor - 103
5. Duke - 102
6. Tennessee - 100
7. Kentucky - 94
8. Auburn - 87
9. Purdue - 85
10. Arizona - 82
...
11. Illinois - 76
14. Wisconsin - 66
19. Michigan State - 59
23. Ohio State - 52
24. UCLA - 49
27. Michigan - 44
28. Oregon - 41
31. Maryland - 35
32. Iowa - 33
42. USC - 26
48. Indiana - 20
57. Rutgers - 15
62. Penn State - 10
68. Washington - 6
72. Minnesota - 5
78. Northwestern - 3


So, Illinois' national rank by decade is below ... seems pretty clear that it takes extraordinary circumstances to stop Illini Basketball from being consistently good. After every "off" decade like the post-Slush Fund 1970s or post-Bruce Pearl 1990s or the middling 2010s, we quickly rebound to being top 15. For those curious, our "golden era" stretch of 2000-2006 had us at #3 in the nation with 118 weeks in the AP Poll or 89.4% of all weeks - barely behind #2 Arizona (120) #1 Duke (132).

1950s: #3
1960s: #14
--- Slush Fund Scandal ---
1970s: #59
1980s: #11
--- Bruce Pearl Incident ---
1990s: #35
2000s: #11
--- Late Weber / John Groce Years ---
2010s: #29
2020s: #11
---> All-Time: #10

One last kind of interesting thing to look at would be the top 5 programs in the Big Ten by decade using these metrics:

ALL-TIME AP POLL APPEARANCES
(1949 to 2026 Preseason)
1. UCLA - 744
2. Indiana - 580
3. Illinois - 521
4. Michigan State - 510
5. Purdue - 454

1949 to 1959
1. Illinois - 97
2. Indiana - 73
3. UCLA - 60
4. Minnesota - 42
5. Iowa - 41

1960 to 1969
1. UCLA - 87
2. Ohio State - 66
3. Michigan - 40
4. Illinois - 38
5. Indiana - 23

1970 to 1979
1. UCLA - 168
2. Maryland - 103
3. Indiana - 94
4. USC - 79
5. Michigan - 76

1980 to 1989
1. Iowa - 114
2. Indiana - 109
3. Illinois - 93
4. Michigan - 77
5. Purdue - 68

1990 to 1999
1. UCLA - 157
2. Indiana - 127
3. Michigan - 117
4. Purdue - 95
5. Michigan State - 87

2000 to 2009
1. Michigan State - 136
2. Illinois - 125
3. UCLA - 113
4. Maryland - 105
5. Wisconsin - 96

2010 to 2019
1. Michigan State - 151
2. Ohio State - 123
3. Wisconsin - 121
4. Purdue - 106
5. Michigan - 93

2020 to 2026 Preseason
1. Purdue - 85
2. Illinois - 76
3. Wisconsin - 66
4. Michigan State - 59
5. Ohio State - 52

So yeah, Indiana hasn't been a top 5 program within the Big Ten in like 30 years. :cool:
Click to expand...
Fighter, incredible deep dive. Kudos to you. Sometime in my lifetime, it'll be justice prevailing when our Illini win our National Championship. The probabilities and lottery balls have simply not been kind. Here's to eternal optimism!
 
#18      
PasadenaIllini
It's a beautiful in depth comparison, and I know a lot of work went into it, but there's an apples and oranges factor that I feel must be considered when comparing Brad's success to the successes of previous coaches. Lou Henson, Lon Krueger, and Bill Self had all of their successes here while dealing with subpar facilities and meager resources which Brad Underwood has never had to deal with. It used to be that our basketball coach was already at a disadvantage because we'd bring recruits here and they'd see facilities that were behind the times compared to the facilities they'd visit at other universities. Compare that to now when we pay our coach a top 10 salary, have facilities that are second to none, and have NIL spending that's top 20 in the country.
 
#19      
Fighter of the Nightman
I was thinking about how many top 25 opportunities we will have this year, with a top 25 win already under our belt this early in November! And that made me want to see our top 25 wins by season since 2000. I included our ranking in parentheses, when applicable, to give some context.

2000 | 4 Wins
W 84-70 vs. #8 Kansas (Chicago, IL) [ILL #20]
W 80-77 vs. #13 Ohio State (ILL #19)
W 87-63 vs. #16 Indiana
W 72-69 vs. #13 Indiana (BTT Quarterfinals in Chicago, IL) [ILL #21]

2001 | 6 Wins
W 90-80 vs. #6 Maryland (Maui) [ILL #8]
W 87-79 vs. #7 Seton Hall (ILL #9)
W 81-73 vs. #7 Arizona (Chicago, IL) [ILL #5]
W 77-66 vs. #4 Michigan State (ILL #7)
W 68-67 vs. #19 Wisconsin (ILL #4)
W 80-64 vs. #12 Kansas (NCAAT Sweet Sixteen in San Antonio, TX) [ILL #4]

2002 | 3 Wins
W 72-61 vs. #8 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [ILL #9]
W 77-66 vs. #17 Iowa (ILL #11)
W 70-62 vs. #25 Indiana (ILL #16)

2003 | 2 Wins
W 92-65 vs. #12 North Carolina (ILL #25)
W 85-70 vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [ILL #12]

2004 | 3 Wins
W 71-70 vs. #11 Missouri (St. Louis, MO) [ILL #21]
W 65-57 vs. #12 Wisconsin
W 92-68 vs. #11 Cincinnati (NCAAT Sweet Sixteen in Columbus, OH) [ILL #13]

2005 | 10 Wins
W 89-72 vs. #24 Gonzaga (Indianapolis, IN) [ILL #5]
W 91-73 vs. #1 Wake Forest (ILL #5)
W 67-45 vs. #22 Cincinnati (Las Vegas, NV) [ILL #1]
W 73-68 in OT vs. #23 Iowa (ILL #1)
W 75-65 at #18 Wisconsin (ILL #1)
W 81-68 at #12 Michigan State (ILL #1)
W 70-59 vs. #20 Wisconsin (ILL #1)
W 54-43 vs. #23 Wisconsin (BTT Championship in Chicago, IL) [ILL #1]
W 90-89 in OT vs. #9 Arizona (NCAAT Elite Eight in Rosemont, IL) [ILL #1]
W 72-57 vs. #4 Louisville (NCAAT Final Four in St. Louis, MO) [ILL #1]

2006 | 3 Wins
W 60-50 vs. #7 Michigan State (ILL #6)
W 71-59 vs. #20 Iowa (ILL #8)
W 75-68 at #25 Michigan State (ILL #10)

2007 | 1 Win
W 51-43 vs. #23 Indiana

2008 | 1 Win
W 74-67 in OT vs. #17 Purdue (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)

2009 | 4 Wins
W 75-59 vs. #25 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
W 71-67 in OT at #9 Purdue
W 66-51 vs. #25 Michigan
W 66-48 vs. #12 Purdue (ILL #23)

2010 | 5 Wins
W 76-74 at #18 Clemson
W 89-83 in OT vs. #25 Northwestern
W 78-73 vs. #5 Michigan State
W 63-56 at #11 Wisconsin
W 58-54 vs. #13 Wisconsin (BTT Quarterfinals in Indianapolis, IN)

2011 | 1 Win
W 71-62 vs. #17 Michigan State (ILL #23)

2012 | 3 Wins
W 82-75 vs. #19 Gonzaga
W 79-74 vs. #5 Ohio State
W 42-41 vs. #10 Michigan State

2013 | 4 Wins
W 85-74 at #10 Gonzaga (ILL #13)
W 74-55 vs. #8 Ohio State (ILL #11)
W 74-72 vs. #1 Indiana
W 57-53 at #18 Minnesota

2014 | 3 Wins
W 65-64 vs. #23 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
W 53-46 at #18 Michigan State
W 66-63 at #24 Iowa

2015 | 1 Win
W 64-58 vs. #11 Maryland

2016 | 2 Wins
W 84-70 vs. #20 Purdue
W 68-66 vs. #20 Iowa (BTT Second Round in Indianapolis, IN)

2017 | 0 Wins

2018 | 0 Wins

2019 | 2 Wins
W 78-67 vs. #13 Maryland (New York, NY)
W 79-74 vs. #9 Michigan State

2020 | 3 Wins
W 71-62 vs. #5 Michigan
W 62-56 at #9 Penn State
W 78-76 vs. #18 Iowa (ILL #23)

2021 | 8 Wins
W 83-68 at #10 Duke (ILL #6)
W 80-75 vs. #7 Iowa (ILL #19)
W 75-60 vs. #19 Wisconsin (ILL #12)
W 74-69 at #23 Wisconsin (ILL #5)
W 76-53 at #2 Michigan (ILL #4)
W 73-68 at #7 Ohio State (ILL #4)
W 82-71 vs. #5 Iowa (BTT Semifinals in Indianapolis, IN) [ILL #3]
W 91-88 in OT vs. #9 Ohio State (BTT Championship in Indianapolis, IN) [ILL #3]

2022 | 4 Wins
W 56-55 vs. #10 Michigan State (ILL #24)
W 80-67 vs. #11 Wisconsin (ILL #18)
W 79-74 at #19 Michigan State (ILL #12)
W 74-72 vs. #24 Iowa (ILL #20)

2023 | 5 Wins
W 79-70 vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV) [ILL #19]
W 85-78 in OT vs. #2 Texas (New York, NY) [ILL #17]
W 79-69 vs. #14 Wisconsin
W 69-60 vs. #24 Rutgers
W 66-62 vs. #21 Northwestern

2024 | 2 Wins
W 98-89 vs. #11 FAU (New York, NY) [ILL #20]
W 72-69 vs. #4 Iowa State (NCAAT Sweet Sixteen in Boston, MA) [ILL #10]

2025 | 5 Wins
W 90-77 vs. #19 Arkansas (Kansas City, MO)
W 86-80 vs. #20 Wisconsin
W 109-77 at #9 Oregon (ILL #22)
W 93-73 at #15 Michigan
W 88-80 vs. #18 Purdue

2026 | 1 Win as of November 12
W 81-77 vs. #11 Texas Tech (ILL #14)

And these are our remaining opportunities this year, using the current rankings, BEFORE any BTT or NCAAT play.

vs. #8 Alabama (Chicago, IL)
vs. #3 UConn (New York, NY)
vs. #20 Tennessee (Nashville, TN)
at #2 Purdue
at #17 Michigan State
vs. #24 Wisconsin
at #15 UCLA
vs. #6 Michigan

We also play the following teams that are in the RV category and could conceivably be ranked soon based on where they are now:

at RV #31 Ohio State
vs. RV #37 Missouri (St. Louis, MO)
at RV #40 Iowa
vs. RV #29 Oregon
vs. RV #28 Indiana
at RV #34 USC

Can we match a 2021 or 2005 resume?? ;)
 
#20      
Fighter of the Nightman
Slow Monday at my company with practically everyone on PTO for the week, and Little Fighter is still napping! So, I thought it would be fun to look at the last time each Big Ten program accomplished a certain thing. As always with my lists, vacated results are not counted.

National Championship
Maryland - 2002
Michigan State - 2000
UCLA - 1995
Michigan - 1989
Indiana - 1987
Ohio State - 1960
Wisconsin - 1941
Oregon - 1939
Illinois - Never
Iowa - Never
Minnesota - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Penn State - Never
Purdue - Never
Rutgers - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never

National Championship Game Appearance
Purdue - 2024
Michigan - 2018
Wisconsin - 2015
Michigan State - 2009
Ohio State - 2007
UCLA - 2006
Illinois - 2005
Maryland - 2002
Indiana - 2002
Iowa - 1956
Oregon - 1939
Minnesota - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Penn State - Never
Rutgers - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


Final Four Appearance
Purdue - 2024
UCLA - 2021
Michigan State - 2019
Michigan - 2018
Oregon - 2017
Wisconsin - 2015
Ohio State - 2012
Illinois - 2005
Maryland - 2002
Indiana - 2002
Iowa - 1980
Rutgers - 1976
Penn State - 1954
USC - 1954
Washington - 1953
Minnesota - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never


Elite Eight Appearance
Michigan State - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2024
Michigan - 2021
UCLA - 2021
USC - 2021
Oregon - 2017
Wisconsin - 2015
Ohio State - 2013
Indiana - 2002
Maryland - 2002
Minnesota - 1990
Iowa - 1987
Rutgers - 1976
Penn State - 1954
Washington - 1953
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never


Sweet Sixteen Appearance
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Purdue - 2025
Illinois - 2024
UCLA - 2023
Oregon - 2021
USC - 2021
Wisconsin - 2017
Indiana - 2016
Ohio State - 2013
Washington - 2010
Penn State - 2001
Iowa - 1999
Minnesota - 1990
Rutgers - 1979
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never


NCAA Tournament Appearance
Illinois - 2025
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Oregon - 2025
Purdue - 2025
UCLA - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Nebraska - 2024
Northwestern - 2024
Indiana - 2023
Iowa - 2023
Penn State - 2023
USC - 2023
Ohio State - 2022
Rutgers - 2022
Minnesota - 2019
Washington - 2019


Ranked in the AP Top 25
Purdue - 2026
Michigan - 2026
Michigan State - 2026
Illinois - 2026
UCLA - 2026
Indiana - 2026
Wisconsin - 2026
Maryland - 2025
Ohio State - 2025
Oregon - 2025
Rutgers - 2025
Northwestern - 2024
Iowa - 2023
USC - 2022
Minnesota - 2021
Penn State - 2020
Washington - 2020
Nebraska - 2019


FINISHED Ranked in the Top 25
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Purdue - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Indiana - 2023
UCLA - 2023
Iowa - 2022
USC - 2022
Ohio State - 2021
Oregon - 2020
Washington - 2011
Minnesota - 1996
Penn State - 1996
Nebraska - 1993
Rutgers - 1979
Northwestern - Never


Big Ten Championship
Michigan State - 2025
Purdue - 2024
Illinois - 2022
Wisconsin - 2022
Michigan - 2021
Maryland - 2020
Indiana - 2016
Ohio State - 2012
Minnesota - 1982
Iowa - 1979
Northwestern - 1933
Nebraska - Never
Oregon - Never
Penn State - Never
Rutgers - Never
UCLA - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


BTT Championship
Michigan - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2023
Iowa - 2022
Michigan State - 2019
Wisconsin - 2015
Ohio State - 2013
Penn State - Never
Minnesota - Never
Indiana - Never
Maryland - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Oregon - Never
Rutgers - Never
UCLA - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


BTT Title Game Appearance
Michigan - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2023
Penn State - 2023
Iowa - 2022
Ohio State - 2021
Michigan State - 2019
Minnesota - 2010
Indiana - 2001
Maryland - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Oregon - Never
Rutgers - Never
UCLA - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


25+ Wins in a Season
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Oregon - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2024
UCLA - 2023
Iowa - 2022
USC - 2022
Washington - 2019
Wisconsin - 2019
Ohio State - 2018
Penn State - 2018
Indiana - 2016
Minnesota - 2014
Nebraska - 1991
Rutgers - 1976
Northwestern - Never


Losing Season
Michigan State - 1988 o_O
Oregon - 2009
Purdue - 2014
Iowa - 2018
Wisconsin - 2018
Illinois - 2019
Indiana - 2021
Nebraska - 2022
Northwestern - 2022
Ohio State - 2023
Maryland - 2024
Michigan - 2024
Penn State - 2024
UCLA - 2024
Minnesota - 2025
Rutgers - 2025
USC - 2025
Washington - 2025
 
#22      
Mr. Roberts
Fighter of the Nightman said:
Slow Monday at my company with practically everyone on PTO for the week, and Little Fighter is still napping! So, I thought it would be fun to look at the last time each Big Ten program accomplished a certain thing. As always with my lists, vacated results are not counted.

National Championship
Maryland - 2002
Michigan State - 2000
UCLA - 1995
Michigan - 1989
Indiana - 1987
Ohio State - 1960
Wisconsin - 1941
Oregon - 1939
Illinois - Never
Iowa - Never
Minnesota - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Penn State - Never
Purdue - Never
Rutgers - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never

National Championship Game Appearance
Purdue - 2024
Michigan - 2018
Wisconsin - 2015
Michigan State - 2009
Ohio State - 2007
UCLA - 2006
Illinois - 2005
Maryland - 2002
Indiana - 2002
Iowa - 1956
Oregon - 1939
Minnesota - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Penn State - Never
Rutgers - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


Final Four Appearance
Purdue - 2024
UCLA - 2021
Michigan State - 2019
Michigan - 2018
Oregon - 2017
Wisconsin - 2015
Ohio State - 2012
Illinois - 2005
Maryland - 2002
Indiana - 2002
Iowa - 1980
Rutgers - 1976
Penn State - 1954
USC - 1954
Washington - 1953
Minnesota - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never


Elite Eight Appearance
Michigan State - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2024
Michigan - 2021
UCLA - 2021
USC - 2021
Oregon - 2017
Wisconsin - 2015
Ohio State - 2013
Indiana - 2002
Maryland - 2002
Minnesota - 1990
Iowa - 1987
Rutgers - 1976
Penn State - 1954
Washington - 1953
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never


Sweet Sixteen Appearance
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Purdue - 2025
Illinois - 2024
UCLA - 2023
Oregon - 2021
USC - 2021
Wisconsin - 2017
Indiana - 2016
Ohio State - 2013
Washington - 2010
Penn State - 2001
Iowa - 1999
Minnesota - 1990
Rutgers - 1979
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never


NCAA Tournament Appearance
Illinois - 2025
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Oregon - 2025
Purdue - 2025
UCLA - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Nebraska - 2024
Northwestern - 2024
Indiana - 2023
Iowa - 2023
Penn State - 2023
USC - 2023
Ohio State - 2022
Rutgers - 2022
Minnesota - 2019
Washington - 2019


Ranked in the AP Top 25
Purdue - 2026
Michigan - 2026
Michigan State - 2026
Illinois - 2026
UCLA - 2026
Indiana - 2026
Wisconsin - 2026
Maryland - 2025
Ohio State - 2025
Oregon - 2025
Rutgers - 2025
Northwestern - 2024
Iowa - 2023
USC - 2022
Minnesota - 2021
Penn State - 2020
Washington - 2020
Nebraska - 2019


FINISHED Ranked in the Top 25
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Purdue - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Indiana - 2023
UCLA - 2023
Iowa - 2022
USC - 2022
Ohio State - 2021
Oregon - 2020
Washington - 2011
Minnesota - 1996
Penn State - 1996
Nebraska - 1993
Rutgers - 1979
Northwestern - Never


Big Ten Championship
Michigan State - 2025
Purdue - 2024
Illinois - 2022
Wisconsin - 2022
Michigan - 2021
Maryland - 2020
Indiana - 2016
Ohio State - 2012
Minnesota - 1982
Iowa - 1979
Northwestern - 1933
Nebraska - Never
Oregon - Never
Penn State - Never
Rutgers - Never
UCLA - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


BTT Championship
Michigan - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2023
Iowa - 2022
Michigan State - 2019
Wisconsin - 2015
Ohio State - 2013
Penn State - Never
Minnesota - Never
Indiana - Never
Maryland - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Oregon - Never
Rutgers - Never
UCLA - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


BTT Title Game Appearance
Michigan - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2023
Penn State - 2023
Iowa - 2022
Ohio State - 2021
Michigan State - 2019
Minnesota - 2010
Indiana - 2001
Maryland - Never
Nebraska - Never
Northwestern - Never
Oregon - Never
Rutgers - Never
UCLA - Never
USC - Never
Washington - Never


25+ Wins in a Season
Maryland - 2025
Michigan - 2025
Michigan State - 2025
Oregon - 2025
Wisconsin - 2025
Illinois - 2024
Purdue - 2024
UCLA - 2023
Iowa - 2022
USC - 2022
Washington - 2019
Wisconsin - 2019
Ohio State - 2018
Penn State - 2018
Indiana - 2016
Minnesota - 2014
Nebraska - 1991
Rutgers - 1976
Northwestern - Never


Losing Season
Michigan State - 1988 o_O
Oregon - 2009
Purdue - 2014
Iowa - 2018
Wisconsin - 2018
Illinois - 2019
Indiana - 2021
Nebraska - 2022
Northwestern - 2022
Ohio State - 2023
Maryland - 2024
Michigan - 2024
Penn State - 2024
UCLA - 2024
Minnesota - 2025
Rutgers - 2025
USC - 2025
Washington - 2025
Click to expand...
Some of those 'Never"s are interesting. Some startling. Some sad. Thanks!
 
#23      
derrick6
Fighter of the Nightman said:
One more fun stat that is super easy to pull thanks to this site is the most weeks in the AP Poll all-time. I get that at the end of the day, people are mostly going to remember conference championships and deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. However, over a long period of time, I would argue that consistently seeing a number next to the name of a given program starts to subconsciously shape your impression of how much "tradition" that program has ... way more than most people would think. I practically guarantee you that the program you tend to overrate when it comes to all-time prestige was particularly good in the decade where you were in elementary school and junior high, haha. For me, those programs are Pitt and Wake Forest ... I just always remember them being good and ranked and identified them as a "basketball schools" when I was a kid, but their all-time traditions really aren't very great.

With that said, it would be interesting to see if these rankings by decade coincide with people's perceptions of these programs during those decades! I showed the top 10 for each decade and then also all of the current Big Ten teams, just for fun.

ALL-TIME AP POLL APPEARANCES
(1949 to 2026 Preseason)
1. Kentucky - 992
2. North Carolina - 963
3. Duke - 915
4. Kansas - 877
5. UCLA - 744
6. Louisville - 665
7. Arizona - 619
8. Indiana - 580
9. Syracuse - 550
10. Illinois - 521
...
11. Michigan State - 510
12. Purdue - 454
13. Michigan - 452
14. Ohio State - 448
15. Maryland - 446
22. Iowa - 387
30. Wisconsin - 329
43. Minnesota - 236
49. USC - 205
56. Oregon - 168
58. Washington - 162
109. Rutgers - 41
114. Nebraska - 34
123. Penn State - 25
139. Northwestern - 18


1949 to 1959
1. Kentucky - 129
2. NC State - 113
3. Illinois - 97
4. Oklahoma State - 82
5. Kansas State - 81
6. Kansas - 74
7. Indiana - 73
8. Saint Louis - 70
9. Oklahoma City University - 68
10. Bradley - 67 (Woohoo, go Peoria!!)
...
16. UCLA - 60
26. Minnesota - 42
27. Iowa - 41
30. Washington - 38
32. Michigan State - 34
35. Maryland - 31
40. Ohio State - 27
48. USC - 18
72. Northwestern - 8
83. Purdue - 5
83. Wisconsin - 5
83. Penn State - 5
110. Nebraska - 1
121. Michigan - 0
121. Oregon - 0
121. Rutgers - 0


1960 to 1969
1. Duke - 101
2. Kentucky - 87
2. UCLA - 87
4. Cincinnati - 72
5. North Carolina - 69
6. Ohio State - 66
7. Vanderbilt - 54
8. Davidson - 46
9. Bradley - 45 (Go Braves!)
10. Kansas - 44
...
13. Michigan - 40
14. Illinois - 38
27. Indiana - 23
29. USC - 21
33. Iowa - 18
36. Purdue - 17
42. Minnesota - 14
68. Michigan State - 4
68. Nebraska - 4
71. Wisconsin - 3
71. Northwestern - 3
77. Maryland - 1
83. Oregon - 0
83. Washington - 0
83. Rutgers - 0
83. Penn State - 0


1970 to 1979
1. UCLA - 168
2. Marquette - 167
3. North Carolina - 162
4. Louisville - 127
5. Notre Dame - 122
6. Kentucky - 112
7. Maryland - 103
8. Indiana - 94
9. NC State - 93
10. Alabama - 89
...
11. USC - 79
12. Michigan - 76
25. Minnesota - 44
33. Purdue - 31
33. Ohio State - 31
37. Michigan State - 27
39. Rutgers - 26
49. Washington - 21
53. Oregon - 19
59. Illinois - 17
66. Iowa - 14
85. Wisconsin - 5
103. Nebraska - 1
112. Penn State - 0
112. Northwestern - 0


1980 to 1989
1. North Carolina - 163
2. Georgetown - 138
3. Kentucky - 123
3. Syracuse - 123
5. Iowa - 114
6. Indiana - 109
7. UNLV - 108
8. Louisville - 101
9. Duke - 99
10. Oklahoma - 98
...
11. Illinois - 93
15. Michigan - 77
18. Purdue - 68
22. UCLA - 66
27. Maryland - 44
29. Ohio State - 39
39. Minnesota - 24
56. Washington - 14
62. Michigan State - 11
98. Wisconsin - 0
98. USC - 0
98. Oregon - 0
98. Rutgers - 0
98. Nebraska - 0
98. Penn State - 0
98. Northwestern - 0


1990 to 1999
1. Arizona - 177
2. North Carolina - 166
3. Kansas - 163
4. Kentucky - 159
5. Duke - 157
5. UCLA - 157
7. Arkansas - 143
8. Syracuse - 137
9. UConn - 130
10. Indiana - 127
...
11. Michigan - 117
13. Purdue - 95
17. Michigan State - 87
19. Iowa - 81
23. Maryland - 68
24. Minnesota - 67
35. Illinois - 46
37. Ohio State - 45
42. Wisconsin - 33
55. Nebraska - 23
73. Oregon - 11
77. USC - 10
77. Penn State - 10
88. Washington - 5
106. Rutgers - 0
106. Northwestern - 0


2000 to 2009
1. Duke - 188
2. Kansas - 167
3. North Carolina - 144
3. UConn - 144
5. Arizona - 142
6. Texas - 141
7. Florida - 137
8. Michigan State - 136
9. Pitt - 128
10. Oklahoma - 127
...
11. Illinois - 125
15. UCLA - 113
17. Maryland - 105
19. Wisconsin - 96
27. Indiana - 72
30. Ohio State - 65
33. Washington - 52
36. Purdue - 47
37. Iowa - 36
40. Oregon - 43
42. USC - 39
70. Minnesota - 11
87. Michigan - 5
102. Rutgers - 0
102. Nebraska - 0
102. Penn State - 0
102. Northwestern - 0


2010 to 2019
1. Kansas - 193
2. Duke - 191
3. Kentucky - 172
4. North Carolina - 155
5. Michigan State - 151
6. Gonzaga - 143
7. Villanova - 142
8. Louisville - 136
9. Arizona - 124
10. Ohio State - 123
...
11. Wisconsin - 121
14. Purdue - 106
18. Michigan - 93
28. Indiana - 62
33. Maryland - 59
37. Oregon - 54
42. UCLA - 44
44. Iowa - 40
53. Illinois - 29
53. Minnesota - 29
58. Washington - 26
78. USC - 12
88. Nebraska - 5
91. Northwestern - 4
108. Rutgers - 0
108. Penn State - 0


2020 to 2026 Preseason
1. Kansas - 112
2. Houston - 107
3. Gonzaga - 104
4. Baylor - 103
5. Duke - 102
6. Tennessee - 100
7. Kentucky - 94
8. Auburn - 87
9. Purdue - 85
10. Arizona - 82
...
11. Illinois - 76
14. Wisconsin - 66
19. Michigan State - 59
23. Ohio State - 52
24. UCLA - 49
27. Michigan - 44
28. Oregon - 41
31. Maryland - 35
32. Iowa - 33
42. USC - 26
48. Indiana - 20
57. Rutgers - 15
62. Penn State - 10
68. Washington - 6
72. Minnesota - 5
78. Northwestern - 3


So, Illinois' national rank by decade is below ... seems pretty clear that it takes extraordinary circumstances to stop Illini Basketball from being consistently good. After every "off" decade like the post-Slush Fund 1970s or post-Bruce Pearl 1990s or the middling 2010s, we quickly rebound to being top 15. For those curious, our "golden era" stretch of 2000-2006 had us at #3 in the nation with 118 weeks in the AP Poll or 89.4% of all weeks - barely behind #2 Arizona (120) #1 Duke (132).

1950s: #3
1960s: #14
--- Slush Fund Scandal ---
1970s: #59
1980s: #11
--- Bruce Pearl Incident ---
1990s: #35
2000s: #11
--- Late Weber / John Groce Years ---
2010s: #29
2020s: #11
---> All-Time: #10

One last kind of interesting thing to look at would be the top 5 programs in the Big Ten by decade using these metrics:

ALL-TIME AP POLL APPEARANCES
(1949 to 2026 Preseason)
1. UCLA - 744
2. Indiana - 580
3. Illinois - 521
4. Michigan State - 510
5. Purdue - 454

1949 to 1959
1. Illinois - 97
2. Indiana - 73
3. UCLA - 60
4. Minnesota - 42
5. Iowa - 41

1960 to 1969
1. UCLA - 87
2. Ohio State - 66
3. Michigan - 40
4. Illinois - 38
5. Indiana - 23

1970 to 1979
1. UCLA - 168
2. Maryland - 103
3. Indiana - 94
4. USC - 79
5. Michigan - 76

1980 to 1989
1. Iowa - 114
2. Indiana - 109
3. Illinois - 93
4. Michigan - 77
5. Purdue - 68

1990 to 1999
1. UCLA - 157
2. Indiana - 127
3. Michigan - 117
4. Purdue - 95
5. Michigan State - 87

2000 to 2009
1. Michigan State - 136
2. Illinois - 125
3. UCLA - 113
4. Maryland - 105
5. Wisconsin - 96

2010 to 2019
1. Michigan State - 151
2. Ohio State - 123
3. Wisconsin - 121
4. Purdue - 106
5. Michigan - 93

2020 to 2026 Preseason
1. Purdue - 85
2. Illinois - 76
3. Wisconsin - 66
4. Michigan State - 59
5. Ohio State - 52

So yeah, Indiana hasn't been a top 5 program within the Big Ten in like 30 years. :cool:
Click to expand...
Just stumbled across this and wanted to thank you and give a shout out to how great this is to see compiled this way!

I wish these nuggets could become part of a reference thread and maintained on occasion.

Thank you again!
 
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