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Illinois Basketball Holds (Almost) Steady in AP Top 25 Poll

The Illini dropped one spot after an ugly loss to Maryland and an easy win against Northwestern
Steven Greenberg|
Jan 26, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; A general view of the stadium before a game with the Northwestern Wildcats at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images
Jan 26, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; A general view of the stadium before a game with the Northwestern Wildcats at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

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Illinois is ranked 18th in the new AP Top 25 poll, released Monday. The Illini (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten) also are 20th in the coaches' poll.

Given their 21-point loss at home to Maryland last week, dropping more than one spot in the AP poll might have been expected. But the Illini bounced back with a highlight-packed win against Northwestern and benefitted from a lot of losing by teams in their midst in the national rankings.

As one of 62 voters in the weekly AP poll, I had the Illini at No. 20 on my preseason ballot and have moved them around quite a bit. Last week, they were 15th on my ballot. This time, they were 25th. Yes, I dropped them 10 spots. Why? Two words: Tomislav Ivisic. They aren't the same team without their slick 7-foot-1 center, who's out indefinitely with mononucleosis. Against Maryland, they were helpless. Even against Northwestern, they took their feet off the pedal, needlessly allowing themselves to be outscored 21-7 down the stretch.

The Big Ten has five teams in the current poll: Michigan State at 7, Purdue at 10, Oregon at 16, Wisconsin at 17 and Illinois at 18. Michigan and Maryland were the top two teams among others receiving votes, coming in at 26th and 27th – right on the cusp.

AP Top 25: 1. Auburn, 2. Duke, 3. Iowa State, 4. Alabama, 5. Florida, 6. Houston, 7. Michigan State, 8. Tennessee, 9. Marquette, 10. Purdue, 11. Kansas, 12. Kentucky, 13. Texas A&M, 14. Mississippi State, 15. St. John's, 16. Oregon, 17. Wisconsin, 18. Illinois, 19. Memphis, 20. Missouri, 21. Louisville, 22. Texas Tech, 23. Ole Miss, 24. Vanderbilt, 25. UConn.

My latest ballot: 1. Auburn, 2. Iowa State, 3. Duke, 4. Houston, 5. Florida, 6. Alabama, 7. Michigan State, 8. Tennessee, 9. Marquette, 10. Kansas, 11. Purdue, 12. Mississippi State, 13. Texas A&M, 14. St. John’s, 15. Kentucky, 16. Wisconsin, 17. Memphis, 18. Texas Tech, 19. Missouri, 20. Clemson, 21. Maryland, 22. Louisville, 23. Vanderbilt, 24. UConn, 25. Illinois.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Can Illinois Basketball Hang in There Without Tomislav Ivisic?

Illinois Basketball Outhustles Northwestern to End Losing Skid

How Does Illinois Basketball Overcome Its Turnover Issues?

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Steven Greenberg
STEVEN GREENBERG

Greenberg is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, has written about college sports since the early 1990s. He covered University of Wisconsin football and basketball in the early 1990s before spending nearly 20 years as a magazine editor and writer. A former managing editor, features writer and college football columnist for The Sporting News, he has written for The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Bleacher Report and joined the Sun-Times in 2013.

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