Illinois Basketball Makes Another Leap in Latest AP Poll Rankings

On a five-game winning streak punctuated by Sunday's road win at Iowa, the Illini are earning the respect of AP voters

Jan 11, 2026; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) and center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and guard Keaton Wagler (23) and guard Kylan Boswell (4) and forward David Mirkovic (0) look on during the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

It has often been difficult to look past what Illinois basketball could be this season to see just how good the Illini are in the here and now. Some of that had to do with chemistry, communication and rotation issues tied to a new cast of characters in Champaign, as well as offseason and early-season injuries that prevented the group from meshing and settling into a cohesive form.

But now we're seemingly witnessing the vision come together – and it isn't a picture dominated only by Brad Underwood's panacea of a five-out offensive scheme and a bunch of overgrown shooters raining hellfire from 25 feet and beyond. The Illini's rise has been keyed by its defense, which has been on a tear during its current five-game winning streak, holding opponents to an average of 58.4 points on 35.3 percent field-goal shooting (including 25.6 percent on threes).

The results haven't gone unnoticed by national media, including AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll voters, who pushed Illinois up to No. 13 (from No. 16) in Monday's release of the latest rankings.

No. 13 pic.twitter.com/RzXepIZwP9

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 12, 2026

Illinois is getting results against the best

Even after a somewhat clunky start, the Illini have already put together one of the better resumes you'll find in college basketball. Their four Quad 1 wins are tied for seventh-best in Division I, and only five programs have more Quad 1A wins than Illinois' two. And because the Illini have consisently tested themselves against some of the most rugged competition, even competitive losses to Alabama and Nebraska reflect positively.

The win over then-No. 19 Iowa on Sunday was tighter than it needed to be, but it ran Illinois' record to 3-0 in opponents' home floors, which would seem to be a sign that the Illini not only travel well but should be equipped for March and all the trappings and challenges of road life that come with NCAA Tournament play.

Highlights of our ranked 75-69 Big Ten road win over No. 19 Iowa. pic.twitter.com/eS13zQsrZ2

— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) January 11, 2026

The rest of the Top 25

Both the Big Ten and Top 25 received a shakeup with Michigan's stunning home loss to Wisconsin. And along with Illinois, Nebraska continued its climb up the rankings, handling Ohio State in Columbus and Indiana in Bloomington to offer further proof that Fred Hoiberg's bunch is no fluke.

Virginia was the poll's biggest mover of the week, climbing seven spots (to No. 16) after wins over Cal and Stanford that left them with nine wins in their past 10 games – a solid achievement in Ryan Odom's first year in Charlottesville. Georgia and Tennessee took the most precipitous falls this week (though only three spots each).

AP Top 25:1. Arizona, 2. Iowa State, 3. UConn, 4. Michigan, 5. Purdue, 6. Duke, 7. Houston, 8. Nebraska, 9. Gonzaga, 10. Vanderbilt, 11. BYU, 12. Michigan State, 13. Illinois, 14. North Carolina, 15. Texas Tech, 16. Virginia, 17. Arkansas, 18. Alabama, 19. Florida, 20. Louisville, 21. Georgia, 22. Clemson, 23. Utah State, 24. Tennessee, 25. Seton Hall.