Illinois Inexplicably Falls and Is Jumped by Big Ten Rival in Andy Katz's Rankings

For a team that matched up with two mid-major clubs and didn’t have the opportunity to prove itself against a Power 5 foe or top-25 squad, Illinois had arguably the best opening week of any program in college basketball.

Illinois held a 32- and 33-point lead at halftime in each of its outings. Brad Underwood’s guys put their foot on the gas immediately – and never let up. Both offensively and defensively, the Illini played nearly flawless basketball. And yet their best trait through two games appears to be cleaning the glass – a trademark of Underwood’s teams.

The Illini were rewarded by AP voters with a move up, from No. 17 to No. 14. You could argue that it wasn't enough – or, at least, that Illinois had been underrated from the start.

Early season test.

🆚 Texas Tech
⏰ 7:30pm CT
📍State Farm Center
📺 FS1
🎟️ https://t.co/MuTzQD4C4L pic.twitter.com/Z4wyMVmCbd
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 10, 2025

Consider: We saw preseason No. 1 Purdue take a 10-point win over Oakland, while then-No. 10 Texas Tech – the Illini’s next opponent – held just a 10-point lead at the break over Sam Houston State. Both slipped a single spot (to No. 2 and No. 11, respectively) as a result. Houston climbed into the top spot by virtue of wins over Lehigh and Towson State.

The analytical tools are even more bullish on where the Illini fit in. (Both KenPom and Bart Torvik have Illinois as a top-five squad in the country.) So what gives with Andy Katz?

Andy Katz drops Illinois in his rankings

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

In his latest Power 37, released on Monday, NCAA expert Katz went against the grain and didn’t just hold Illinois at its (arguably too-low) preseason spot, but even dropped the Illini. After slotting Underwood’s squad at No. 19 ahead of the season, Katz slid the Illini down a spot to No. 20 in Monday’s latest edition of his rankings.

🚨 NEW #Power37 from @TheAndyKatz!

1. Purdue
2. Houston
3. Arizona
4. Alabama
5. UConn
6. Duke
7. Michigan
8. Kentucky
9. Texas Tech
10. St. John's

🗞️: https://t.co/rNpHnguZRS pic.twitter.com/f5U76DfmF4
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 10, 2025

Andy Katz ranks Indiana ahead of Illinois

Darian DeVrie — Nov 5, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers head coach Darian Devries celebrates after the game against the Alabama A&M Bulldogs at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

And, as if Illinois fans needed any more ammunition, Katz this week bumped Indiana up from No. 31 – to No. 17. Now, the Hoosiers were thoroughly impressive in their dismantling of Marquette in a 100-77 victory in Chicago on Sunday, but let’s take a step back.

Admittedly, Indiana’s duo of wing Tucker DeVries and guard Lamar Wilkerson is going to be a problem for the Big Ten this season. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Hoosiers feasted on a relatively young, inexperienced Golden Eagles team that will very possibly be the first Shaka Smart-led team to miss the NCAA Tournament at Marquette. Oh, and Indiana shot a scorching-hot 50 percent from deep.

Darian DeVries’ club is undoubtedly going to be better than originally anticipated and will almost surely outplay its projected spot in the Big Ten preseason poll (No. 10), but let’s not jump to any outlandish conclusions just yet.

The Illini, at least for now, have firmly positioned themselves in the conference's top three – a status the Hoosiers can’t yet claim. And with a win over Texas Tech on Tuesday, Illinois very well may cement itself as a premier conference title contender and even a legitimate Final Four threat.