Can Illinois Basketball Handle No. 20 Wisconsin, New No. 1 Tennessee?

The Illini fell from the AP Top 25 after losing at Northwestern, but now comes a huge opportunity to move up against the Badgers and, especially, the Volunteers
Dec 6, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) scores against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Dec 6, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) scores against the Northwestern Wildcats during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images / David Banks-Imagn Images

Talk about a not-so-sweet 16 for Illinois' men's basketball team. The Illini (6-2) dropped 16 spots in the AP rankings thanks to a 70-66 overtime loss at Northwestern. Last week, the team was 19th in the Top 25. One week – one game – later, it's 10th among others receiving votes, or 35th overall.

Later in the season, individual results won't have such sway in the polling. For an Illini team that hasn't had many opportunities to strut its stuff against strong opposition, it's still very early.

One chance to make a move in the poll comes quickly this week, with No. 20 Wisconsin at State Farm Center on Tuesday (8 p.m. CST, Peacock). After that comes the biggie, an extraordinary chance to host the new No. 1 team in the country, Tennessee (4:30 p.m. Saturday, FOX).

Illinois hasn't beaten a No. 1 team since February 7, 2013, when Tyler Griffey beat the buzzer with a layup that knocked off Indiana.

An 0-2 week would leave the Illini in an already precarious position as far as their national reputation and even their eventual postseason résumé. But a 2-0 week would have the opposite effect and could vault them close to the top 10.

As one of 62 voters in the weekly AP poll, I had the Illini at No. 20 on my preseason ballot and have kept them on my weekly ballot since. This week, I have them at No. 24, their lowest appearance on my ballot to date.

The Big Ten is represented in the new poll by No. 11 Purdue, No. 12 Oregon, No. 14 Michigan, No. 20 Wisconsin, No. 21 Michigan State and No. 24 UCLA.

My latest ballot: 1. Tennessee, 2. Auburn, 3. Iowa State, 4. Marquette, 5. Kentucky, 6. Alabama, 7. Duke, 8. Gonzaga, 9. Florida, 10. Purdue, 11. Ole Miss, 12. Oklahoma, 13. Oregon, 14. Kansas, 15. UConn, 16. Michigan State, 17. Michigan, 18. Clemson, 19. Texas A&M, 20. Wisconsin, 21. Houston, 22. San Diego State, 23. Cincinnati, 24. Illinois, 25. Mississippi State.

Week 6 AP Top 25

1. Tennessee (58 first-place votes)

2. Auburn (3)

3. Iowa State (1)

4. Duke

5. Kentucky

6. Marquette

7. Alabama

8. Gonzaga

9. Florida

10. Kansas

11. Purdue

12. Oregon

13. Oklahoma

14. Michigan

15. Houston

16. Clemson

17. Texas A&M

18. UConn

19. Ole Miss

20. Wisconsin

21. Michigan State

22. Cincinnati

23. San Diego State

24. UCLA

25. Mississippi State

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Brad Underwood After Illinois' Loss at Northwestern: 'I've Gotten Soft in Practice'

3 Key Numbers From Illinois Basketball's Loss at Northwestern

Illinois Basketball's Next Shot to Upset an NCAA No. 1 – Tennessee – Is Coming Soon


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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.