Where College Basketball's Top Experts Rank Illinois: Too High or Too Low?

In the thick of the holidays, AP voters didn’t cast a ballot last Monday, meaning the rankings haven’t shifted since the morning of December 22, hours before Illinois’ decimation of Missouri.

Consequently, the Illini remain stuck at No. 20 in the poll, despite being back in the good graces of the analytics (ranked in the top 10 of KenPom, Bart Torvik and the NET).

Ahead of Illinois’ final 18-game stretch of Big Ten play, which gets underway Saturday night against Penn State at The Palestra in Philadelphia, the question is: Do the analytics have it right – or is the AP poll closer to pinpointing Illinois’ true national standing?

To answer that question, we took a look at a handful of expert opinions – and then offered our own. First up, CBS’ Sports Gary Parrish, who released an updated Top 25-and-1 rankings on Saturday morning.

Where college basketball pundits rank Illinois ahead of Big Ten play

Dec 9, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts to a call during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Gary Parrish, CBS

Parrish elected to slot Illinois at No. 17, one spot above Texas Tech (which the Illini beat) and two spots ahead of Tennessee (another Illinois victim). Only No. 10 Michigan State, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 6 Purdue and No. 1 Michigan rank ahead of Illinois among Big Ten squads, according to Parrish.

Illinois on SI verdict: Too low

Dec 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) during the first half against the Southern University Jaguars at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Andy Katz, NCAA

After Illinois’ blowout victory over Missouri, Katz stated that the Illini “are poised to make a case for a top-four finish in the Big Ten,” and awarded them a ranking of No. 16. (His rankings last updated on Monday.)

Illinois on SI verdict: A little too low

Jon Rothstein, CBS

Rothstein, one of the sport’s most beloved pundits, has the Illini at No. 15, behind four other Big Ten teams in No. 10 Michigan State, No. 7 Nebraska, No. 6 Purdue and No. 2 Michigan. (Rothstein last updated his rankings Saturday morning.)

Illinois on SI verdict: Spot on

Where should Illinois be ranked?

On one hand, given the advanced metrics, it could be argued that the Illini are worthy of a top-10 spot – but that’s just not realistic, at least for now. Illinois' overall ability and ceiling may well be in that neighborhood, but until Underwood’s unit starts consistently winning the biggest games, the Illini just don't belong in a group with the teams that are handling their business.

Michigan State, which came up short against Nebraska and Duke, remains the only team with multiple losses that can be considered a top-10 worthy club, as every other squad in that category remains undefeated or with one loss. Meanwhile, the Illini may be the best three-loss team in the country – but they do still have three blemishes. There's no getting around that.

For now, Illinois at No. 15 is fair. That said, we expect the Illini to climb up the rankings in due time, especially as a generous six-game stretch awaits them.