skyIdub
Illinois #23 in preseason AP Poll
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How many times has a team that's not Kentucky, Duke or UNC returned 0 of 5 starters from the prior season and managed to get a preseason ranking? For that matter, how many times has one of those blue bloods even done that?
I'm sure some on here think the #23 rating is low, and I certainly think we end the season ranked higher than that, but based on our turnover from last season I think the voters are giving our program some serious respect.
I'm sure some on here think the #23 rating is low, and I certainly think we end the season ranked higher than that, but based on our turnover from last season I think the voters are giving our program some serious respect.
Kinda hoping one of the "hiccups" is not against UCLA. It's rare we get to see the beloved here on the west coast, but taking the whole fam damily to that one. Would be nice to see a quality win. Regardless, we'll be there reppin the O&B!As alluded to in an earlier post, we will DEFINITELY have the opportunity to jump way up early in the season if we deserve it! Here are our top 25 games before the holidays...
11/18 - vs. #8 UCLA (Las Vegas, NV)
11/20 - vs. #5 Baylor or #18 Virginia (Las Vegas, NV)
12/6 - vs. #12 Texas (New York, NY)
If this team can gel early, our SOS this year will be through the roof, so some key non-conference wins could REALLY propel us into a crazy-high seed in March. With that said, I am expecting a hiccup or two early, but I REALLY want at least one of those three games. We will then also have two games with #13 Indiana and one with #22 Michigan in conference play, of course. Purdue (x1), Michigan State (x1), Ohio State (x2), Iowa (x1) and Rutgers (x1) all are receiving votes, as well - six more potential games vs. ranked opponents.
P.S. This is the first time we have been ranked preseason for three seasons in a row since 2003-04 through 2005-06 (#13, #5 and #17) and 1999-00 through 2001-02 (#16, #8 and #3). Both of these, as well as our current streak and one from 1984-85 through 1986-87 (#2, #7 and #14) are tied for the longest streaks in program history. Not being ranked preseason in 2002-03 (we finished #11 and got as high as #7) kept us from an astonishing 7-year streak from 1999-00 through 2005-06.
The uncertainty for this team has to be one of the highest in the nation. It’ll take some time but the talent in undeniable, our bench is deep, we have proven contributors transferring in, a top 10 recruiting class, and a coaching staff that’s proven to be one of the best in the country.
As an Illini fan I think (most?) of us have had exciting storylines and preseason praises shoved down our throats most of the past 2 decades that evaporate before the calendar turns. But I’m personally ready to trust again.
SuperMetroid
- Evanston
Sweet Jesus that is a depressing stat. The 2010s were a dark, dark time to be an Illini fan.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Yep. But they're long over and gone, my Illini brother.
I was at MSG in Jan 2019 when we beat a Maryland team that ended up finishing three games off the BT title. Ayo was a frosh. That afternoon, watching Adonis De La Rosa get in Bruno Fernando's head, Tevian drain some key treys, and Ayo do Baby Ayo things was the first time I'd felt true, sane hope in years. Ten days later the boys pulled off that epic win over #9 MSU at home (Dakich lmao: "This won't end well for Illinois.")
Jan 2019 seems like 15 years ago to me in Illini hoops terms. So far in the rear-view mirror and yet so recent that the exponential pace of the program's revival still lingers like some sort of hot salsa tang on my lips from the last savory bite while I'm takin' the next one.
And football? C'mon. I've been pinching myself so much since the first half of the Wisconsin game that I'm purple from head to toe.
We are where we are. In the light. The warm, nourishing, euphoria-inducing light. Daddy Brad and Behemoth Bret. They're hungry for titles. Their boys are hungry for titles. The runway is long. The runway is B-52 Stratofortress long. Bring it on!!
GallopingGhost
- Denver, CO
My prediction, and some of you may not like it, is:
We start strong, crushing our cupcakes. I think we falter a bit in the bigger games early as this team learns to gel. Maybe drop 1 or both of the Vegas games. This will drop us out of the top 25.
We then middle around until finally coming together as a unit and cohesive group in February, right at the perfect time to push and make a top-15 regular season finish.
3-5 seed in the NCAA tournament and a run into at least the sweet 16!!
But ya know. Just a prediction.
We start strong, crushing our cupcakes. I think we falter a bit in the bigger games early as this team learns to gel. Maybe drop 1 or both of the Vegas games. This will drop us out of the top 25.
We then middle around until finally coming together as a unit and cohesive group in February, right at the perfect time to push and make a top-15 regular season finish.
3-5 seed in the NCAA tournament and a run into at least the sweet 16!!
But ya know. Just a prediction.
May be tougher to make big jumps in polls this year given the relative “downness” of the BIG. Last year BIG had 5 teams in preseason poll with first two out also being from BIG as well as a third also receiving some votes. More importantly, the top BIG schools were ranked 6, 7, and 11 with the lowest being 21st. Teams could take turns beating each other up, giving teams chance to move up and also not fall too far with a loss. This year only one of BIG ranked teams is ranked higher than 21st. If Illinois falls out of polls because of noncon losses, it “weakens” the BIG further. Going to be interesting not only seeing how Illini develop but how BIG shakes out both amongst itself and nationally.My prediction, and some of you may not like it, is:
We start strong, crushing our cupcakes. I think we falter a bit in the bigger games early as this team learns to gel. Maybe drop 1 or both of the Vegas games. This will drop us out of the top 25.
We then middle around until finally coming together as a unit and cohesive group in February, right at the perfect time to push and make a top-15 regular season finish.
3-5 seed in the NCAA tournament and a run into at least the sweet 16!!
But ya know. Just a prediction.
Agree, but have to put it into context too. Players with extra Covid year and a huge transfer portal bolstered by not having to sit out upon transfer are what has made this scenario possible. But, yes, our Illini getting some respect.
Preseason ranking is great from an exposure perspective but I’m not nor have I ever been overly concerned about CBB rankings. The beauty of the sport is how democratic it is. Win and you’re in, it’s that simple.
I know rankings can impact seeding, but if this team comes together like I hope it will in March, it won’t matter where we are seeded. We will go into the tournament fearing no matchup and no team. Let’s see if they can come together.
I know rankings can impact seeding, but if this team comes together like I hope it will in March, it won’t matter where we are seeded. We will go into the tournament fearing no matchup and no team. Let’s see if they can come together.
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Right on. Particularly with a team like ours that has so many new players, seasoned transfers though some of them are, pricing of the Illini asset in the rankings market isn't that transparent. We're off the preseason radar for the most part? All the better when the boys start to jell and make some noise. I recall that '83-'84 team that got shafted in the Elite 8 at Rupp Arena. They weren't ranked in SI's preseason Top 20 and rated a mere three sentences in the SI "Best of the Rest" section.
Despite the offseason turnover and player losses, I'm looking forward to this season even more than the past couple.
pruman91
- Paducah, Ky
I'm excited about the new scheme's that will replace the "" get the ball down low to Kofi "" patterns of the past few years .....I will always be appreciative of Kofi committing to the Illini and ushering in a big man era that was lost on the Illini for a long time before his commitment.........
The idea of a true positionless squad with more movement in and out of the paint entices the mind and I wonder who will exploit the paint with drives and dish offs to others in the paint or out at the 3 point line.....The idea of a different player leading in scoring or rebounding makes for a more up tempo pace of play.......
We should see a more attacking defense , not like the first couple of years with so many dunks allowed , but a sped up defense leading to more steals and points in transition........
Ranking's DO matter regardless of when you get ranked .....When the Illini are ranked it keeps the Illini brand in front of potential recruits , and should help amp up the current squad to extend that ranking.....
What kind of team do we have this year ????........................IMHO , we will be more athletic looking and use the full 94 feet of court.......We could see more pressing with the depth we have that will allow more 3-4 minute stretches of chaos by the illini...................BU has professed wanting taller and longer reaching wing players.....Well , now he has that and the opinions stated in this thread and others about who will lead in PPG and RPG , we don't really know who will rise and take hold of their opportunity......
I am as excited as ever about this new season and I think we will surprise many across the college BB landscape..........
Let's Go Illini !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm not sure SOS will be through the roof after the non-conf. IIRC, someone posted there are quite a few really weak teams on the schedule (300+ KP last year) that will pull it back down. In terms of Q1 wins for NCAA tournament seeding, there should be several opportunities.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
That's really disappointing if true ... I see zero appeal in those games, our program is perfectly capable of beating a small school in the high 100s or low 200s for our cupcake games. I'm sure logistical problems play into it, but scheduling those teams at home is the Fran McCaffrey recipe for getting underseeded.
If you want a disproportionant number of home games you have to avoid home and homes. Good teams are not willing to come here without something significant in return. Really good teams aren't keen on playing us on our home court and take a likely loss. Ergo, you buy some victories from patsies who want a big payday.
I love this team but we may be looking for consistent scoring early in the season. Usually you have several leaders that are used to scoring 15-18 points night-in night-out. Last I checked our players scored 8-13 points last year at whatever school they attended. We may struggle to top 60 for a while until the guys are used to each other.
However, teams may have problems scoring 60 on us! We have long strong wings and guards and defensive studs in Rogers, Mayer and others who will grind other teams down. they WILL be fun to watch!
I’m actually cautiously optimistic we will be able to score enough to be competitive and win some games early.
We have way more players that can just go get one. I am envisioning a lot of riding the hot hand and/or hero ball early on while we work out the kinks on our offensive sets. We should also have a matchup advantage at least 2-3 spots on the floor on any given night.
Agree and in reality it doesn’t matter what your rank is prior to the tournament
Last 2 years UCLA and UNC made tournament runs. Both were bubble teams a few weeks prior to the dance and figured it out at the right time
We have the talent to be dangerous
MDchicago
- Lake Norman NC
Looking at the breakdown by AP voter (Link) for Big 10 teams receiving votes:
- #13 Indiana was ranked by all 62 voters, with a high of 6 and low of 23;
- #22 Michigan was ranked by 60% of voters, with a high of 8 and low of NR;
- #23 llini were ranked by 56.5% of voters, with a high of 11 and low of NR;
- #29 Purdue was ranked by 29% of voters, with a high of 17 and low of NR;
- #31 MSU was ranked by 16% of voters, with a high of 19 and low of NR;
- #35 OSU was ranked by 13% of voters, with a high of 18 (Vitale) and low of NR;
- #36 Iowa was ranked by 6% of voters, with a high of 21 and low of NR;
- #37 Rutgers was ranked by 3% of voters, with a high of 24 and low of NR.
Interesting that a couple of the bigger media personalities with votes are not high on the Illini pre-season, with Seth Davis picking them no better than 6th in the B10 (ranking Indiana, OSU, Michigan, MSU and Purdue) and Vitale no better than 5th in the league (ranking Indiana, OSU, Michigan and MSU). Rothstein includes only 2 B10 teams in his top 25 (Indiana and Purdue).
Will all play out in the end, but interesting to see their takes/picks going in...
- #13 Indiana was ranked by all 62 voters, with a high of 6 and low of 23;
- #22 Michigan was ranked by 60% of voters, with a high of 8 and low of NR;
- #23 llini were ranked by 56.5% of voters, with a high of 11 and low of NR;
- #29 Purdue was ranked by 29% of voters, with a high of 17 and low of NR;
- #31 MSU was ranked by 16% of voters, with a high of 19 and low of NR;
- #35 OSU was ranked by 13% of voters, with a high of 18 (Vitale) and low of NR;
- #36 Iowa was ranked by 6% of voters, with a high of 21 and low of NR;
- #37 Rutgers was ranked by 3% of voters, with a high of 24 and low of NR.
Interesting that a couple of the bigger media personalities with votes are not high on the Illini pre-season, with Seth Davis picking them no better than 6th in the B10 (ranking Indiana, OSU, Michigan, MSU and Purdue) and Vitale no better than 5th in the league (ranking Indiana, OSU, Michigan and MSU). Rothstein includes only 2 B10 teams in his top 25 (Indiana and Purdue).
Will all play out in the end, but interesting to see their takes/picks going in...
sacraig
- The desert
We certainly will have a chance to boost our ranking considerably early in the season. I hope we seize that opportunity.
Fighter of the Nightman
- Chicago, IL
This is honestly the first time we have entered the season ranked and I have genuinely felt we are very underrated (which is not the same as saying our ranking isn't "fair," BTW). In other words, excluding seasons where we were NOT ranked and I thought we had the potential to be pretty good, we have usually been ranked at or above where I thought we should be (first Illini hoops I REALLY remember is the NCAAT in 2001):
2021-22: #11 ... After losing Ayo, I thought we would be closer to #15. So, this wasn't TOO far off, but it still surprised me.
2020-21: #8 ... I REALLY believed we would be good, but I was slightly nervous about losing Feliz and thought Griffin would be a bigger loss. In the end, I was surprised we were top 10 and not closer to #15 or so. Turned out we were even better than #8, but I didn't think so at the time!
2010-11: #13 ... Again, I was a "believer," but our 2010 team missed the Tournament ... it was the exact same type of hype as this year's IU team - returning everyone from what was, in truth, a mediocre team and simply hoping they got better.
2009-10: #23 ... I was a blind homer, but I did not think this was totally fair, haha ... we saw what happened the year before when Frazier was out, and it's now clear how much the McCamey Crew needed guys like Meacham for leadership, IMO.
2005-06: #17 ... I was worried at the time that we were coasting on reputation ... we ended at #13 but lost in the Second Round, so I guess #17 was in the correct range.
2004-05: #5 ... Again, this seemed spot on for a Sweet Sixteen team (from what everyone assumed was a weak Big Ten) returning nearly everybody.
2003-04: #13 ... This seemed fair, lots of young talent but lost key veterans (especially Brian Cook).
2001-02: #3 ... I was too young to analyze this, but looking back it seems a bit high, and the final polls proved that to be correct.
It actually feels really good to both be ranked (for the prestige, publicity and recognition of our program's recent success) AND underrated, hungry for more!
2021-22: #11 ... After losing Ayo, I thought we would be closer to #15. So, this wasn't TOO far off, but it still surprised me.
2020-21: #8 ... I REALLY believed we would be good, but I was slightly nervous about losing Feliz and thought Griffin would be a bigger loss. In the end, I was surprised we were top 10 and not closer to #15 or so. Turned out we were even better than #8, but I didn't think so at the time!
2010-11: #13 ... Again, I was a "believer," but our 2010 team missed the Tournament ... it was the exact same type of hype as this year's IU team - returning everyone from what was, in truth, a mediocre team and simply hoping they got better.
2009-10: #23 ... I was a blind homer, but I did not think this was totally fair, haha ... we saw what happened the year before when Frazier was out, and it's now clear how much the McCamey Crew needed guys like Meacham for leadership, IMO.
2005-06: #17 ... I was worried at the time that we were coasting on reputation ... we ended at #13 but lost in the Second Round, so I guess #17 was in the correct range.
2004-05: #5 ... Again, this seemed spot on for a Sweet Sixteen team (from what everyone assumed was a weak Big Ten) returning nearly everybody.
2003-04: #13 ... This seemed fair, lots of young talent but lost key veterans (especially Brian Cook).
2001-02: #3 ... I was too young to analyze this, but looking back it seems a bit high, and the final polls proved that to be correct.
It actually feels really good to both be ranked (for the prestige, publicity and recognition of our program's recent success) AND underrated, hungry for more!
It's interesting how weak games can backfire. How many times have we seen an unmotivated high level program struggle with a Q3/Q4 game that winds up as a blemish to their resume?
I have no complaints with the schedule, but I agree with your point.
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