ESPN's Joe Lunardi Has Illinois Rising in His Latest Bracketology

The Illini, on the heels of that attention-grabbing road win at Purdue, continues to climb in hoops pundits' rankings - including Lunardi's Bracketology

Jan 21, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood greets fans as he enters the floor during pre-game introductions at State Farm Center in a matchup against the Maryland Terrapins.. Mandatory Credit: Fred Zwicky-Imagn Images | Fred Zwicky-Imagn Images

Illinois keeps finding ways to win. No Kylan Boswell? No problem (for the most part). The Illini are riding a nine-game win streak – the most recent triumph coming in dramatic fashion at Purdue, behind a 46-point detonation from freshman guard Keaton Wagler. A few nights before, it was wing Andrej Stojakovic with the hot hand, going for 30 points in a victory over Maryland. 

As welcome as those performances have been, mMaintaining that kind of momentum isn’t going to be an easy task. In the Big Ten, there is no let-up. A home matchup against Washington, sandwiched between road trips to Purdue and Nebraska, may seem like a “break," but it’s far from it. For context, the Huskies played Purdue, Michigan and Nebraska each within 10 points – and two of those outings were on the road.

Illinois emerges as top seed in latest ESPN bracketology

Jan 24, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Purdue Boilermakers at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

Even so, as things currently stand heading into the Illinois-Washington contest, Brad Underwood’s club is 17-3 overall and owns an 8-1 conference record – all of which should be worthy of a two seed in the NCAA Tournament, at least in the eyes of ESPN’s Joe Lunardi. 

In Lunardi’s latest update, the renowned Bracketologist bumped the Illini up to a two seed – their highest mark since the turn of the New Year. That slot doesn’t exactly align with the AP poll (which ranks Illinois at No. 9), but it reflects the key metrics, including KenPom, Bart Torvik and the NET rankings – all of which have Illinois among their top seven.

The Illini’s new path would involve an initial matchup with Navy, before taking on the winner of St. Louis and Miami. Then, Illinois would likely face either Texas Tech or Tennessee, with both potential outings serving as rematches of regular-season battles – each of which the Illini won.

It goes without saying: Bracketology predictions in late January rarely mirror the actual result come mid-March, but the projections do offer an idea of a club’s current standing, and a brief glimpse into what the future may have in store. 

With Illinois facing notable contests ahead – including at Nebraska, at Michigan State, a road trip to Los Angeles (against USC and UCLA), plus an outing with Michigan in Champaign – its ultimate seed remains far from cemented.

Still, a two seed remains the most likely outcome, even with the Illini staring down that gauntlet. Split Nebraska and Michigan State, and win two out of three against USC, UCLA and Michigan, and Illinois will likely find itself with a firm grip on a two seed. Manage to go 4-1 (an admittedly Herculean task) in that stretch, and the Illini immediately leap into one seed territory, with the floor being a high two seed.