Illinois Basketball Achieves Highest AP Top 25 Poll Ranking Since 2021

Illinois made the biggest leap in Monday's AP Top 25 poll after a week of wins over Washington and Nebraska

Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood during pre-game introductions at State Farm Center before a matchup against the Maryland Terrapins. | Fred Zwicky-Imagn Images

Illinois making the AP Top 25 poll has become a baseline expectation under Brad Underwood, who has coached a ranked team in each of the past seven seasons following a four-year drought.

Still, Underwood is finding ways to take the Illini to new heights. In Monday's updated AP Top 25 poll, Illinois came in at No. 5. They moved up four spots – more than any team this week – and reached their highest ranking of the season after wins over Washington and No. 5 Nebraska (on the road).

Illinois cracks top five of AP poll for first time in years

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) drives against Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Pryce Sandfort (21) at Pinnacle Bank Arena. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

Illinois jumping to No. 5 in the AP Top 25 poll marks the program's highest ranking since the 2020-21 season, when it was ranked No. 2 in the final poll.

That season, the Illini finished second in the Big Ten, won the Big Ten Tournament and earned their first No. 1 seed since 2005. But its final season with All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu came to a disappointing end, as Illinois lost to No. 8 seed Loyola in the Round of 32.

Illinois has been ranked at some point in each season since 2019-20. It also reached the top 10 in 2021-22, climbed as high as No. 6 in 2023-24 and made an Elite Eight run in 2024. But after road wins against No. 4 Purdue and No. 5 Nebraska over its past three games, this Illinois team is pushing for even more.

At 19-3 overall and 10-1 in conference play, the Illini are tied atop the Big Ten standing with Michigan. There's a lot of basketball left to be played, but a matchup with the Wolverines on Feb. 27 in Champaign could have the Big Ten title and a No. 1 seed at stake.

The Big Ten in the AP Top 25

Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler (0) backs down Michigan Wolverines center Aday Mara (15) at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

No. 5 Illinois is the second-highest-ranked Big Ten team behind No. 2 Michigan, which is coming off a huge week, with top-10 wins over Nebraska and Michigan State. Those Wolverines victories caused Nebraska to fall four spots, to No. 9, while Michigan State moved down three spots to No. 10.

Purdue was on a three-game losing streak when it lost at Indiana on Tuesday, but a 30-point win at Maryland impressed enough voters to hold the Boilermakers steady at No. 12. That makes for a bit of a top-heavy Big Ten, with five teams ranked in the top 12 but none ranked 13th through 25th. Iowa and Wisconsin were the only Big Ten teams to receive votes, though both remain outside the top 25.

Up next for Illinois is a home game against unranked Northwestern, which is 2-9 in Big Ten play. That's followed by a crucial road trip to No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT

The rest of the top 25

1. Arizona (22-0)
2. Michigan (20-1)
3. UConn (21-1)
4. Duke (20-1)
5. Illinois (19-3)
6. Gonzaga (22-1)
7. Iowa State (20-2)
8. Houston (19-2)
9. Nebraska (20-2)
10. Michigan State (19-3)
11. Kansas (16-5)
12. Purdue (18-4)
13. Texas Tech (16-5)
14. North Carolina (17-4)
15. Vanderbilt (19-3)
16. BYU (17-4)
17. Florida (16-6)
18. Virginia (18-3)
19. Saint Louis (21-1)
20. Clemson (18-4)
21. Arkansas (16-6)
22. St. John’s (16-5)
23. Miami (Ohio) (22-0)
24. Louisville (15-6)
25. Tennessee (15-6)