Illinois Basketball Falls Short of AP Poll But Lands In Expert's Top 25

The Illini's dominant week wasn't enough to send them back into the AP Poll, but it snuck them into one prominent list

Feb 25, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichous (3) and teammate Kasparas Jakucionis (32) congratulate each other after 81-61 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

After stumbling through a 5-8 patch that was characterized by injuries and illness – and most of all, poor defense – Illinois (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten) finally seems to have gotten back on track with two 20-point Big Ten victories last week.

On Tuesday, the Illini took down Iowa, 81-61, holding the Hawkeyes to a season-low scoring output and entirely neutralizing star guard Payton Sandfort (seven points on 2-for-10 shooting). On the other end, Illinois put together a stellar offensive showing, shooting 50.8 percent from the field and committing just five turnovers.

If that was a stellar offensive performance, then the Illini’s second half on Sunday afternoon against Michigan was downright supernatural. After taking a 31-30 edge into halftime, Illinois broke things open in the second half, pouring in 62 points and knocking down 11 triples en route to an emphatic 93-73 victory.

Despite their excellent week, the Illini still remain on the outside of the most recent AP poll, landing at sixth in “others receiving votes."

With a 21-point loss to No. 12 Wisconsin and a program-worst 43-point thrashing at the hands of No. 2 Duke both occurring within the past two weeks, recent Illini gags still loom large in the minds of AP voters. Illinois' pair of wins didn’t do enough to convince the most of the experts that they belong amongst the elites.

But they did win over at least one: Andy Katz.

In Katz's latest edition of the Power 37, the Illini – who weren’t listed anywhere in his rankings just last week – landed at No. 23.

🚨 NEW #Power37 from @TheAndyKatz!

1. Auburn
2. Duke
3. Houston
4. Florida
5. St. John’s
6. Tennessee
7. Alabama
8. Texas Tech
9. Michigan State
10. Iowa State pic.twitter.com/xYQXMxjGsE

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 3, 2025

That’s one spot ahead of their most recent opponent (Michigan slid into 24th) and four spots behind their next opponent, Purdue.

Illinois gets five days off before coach Matt Painter and his Boilermakers arrive in Champaign for a Friday night showdown to close out the regular season, in what serves as yet another opportunity for the Illini to get traction heading into the Big Ten Tournament.

All of the Big Ten teams in Katz’s Power 37:

No. 26: UCLA
No. 24: Michigan
No. 23: Illinois
No. 20: Oregon
No. 19: Purdue
No. 18: Wisconsin
No. 11: Maryland
No. 9: Michigan State

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

CBS analyst Clark Kellogg on Illinois Basketball: 'I've Seen This Movie Before'

Best Social Media Reactions From Illinois Basketball's Upset of No. 15 Michigan

Michigan Coach Dusty May Breaks Down Illinois' Rebounding Dominance