Where College Basketball's Top Experts Rank Illinois After Indiana Win

After Illinois saw its 12-game win streak snapped by Michigan State, the expectation was the Illini would return to Champaign with some extra motivation for their next matchup. Instead, Illinois limped through 40 minutes of play against Wisconsin and found itself in overtime, where it simply collapsed, allowing the visitors to steal a huge win.

But on Sunday, against an Indiana club that entered having won five of its previous six games, the Illini finally righted the ship with a convincing 20-point victory.

So with that encouraging triumph in the books, how does Illinois now rate in the eyes of college basketball’s most renowned experts? As of Monday, here’s where some of the top pundits slotted the Illini (who landed at No. 10 in the AP poll):

Where experts rank Illinois ahead of its two-game road trip

Feb 15, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis (15) helps teammate Keaton Wagler (23) off the court during the second half against the Indiana Hoosiers at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish

In his updated Top 25 and One, Gary Parrish slotted Illinois at No. 10 in the country – good for fourth among Big Ten teams, as the Illini landed behind Nebraska (No. 8), Purdue (No. 7) and Michigan (No. 1).

NCAA’s Andy Katz

On Monday, Andy Katz released his latest Power 37, dropping the Illini from their No. 4 spot a week ago to No. 8. Even so, he seems to be encouraged by Illinois' trajectory, as he said, “Kylan Boswell is back and so are the Illini.”

Feb 15, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) looks to the basket as Indiana Hoosiers forward Tucker DeVries (12) defends during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein

In Jon Rothstein’s Top 45, which is updated daily, Brad Underwood’s club landed at No. 10, one spot ahead of Nebraska (No. 11) and a few spots behind Purdue (No. 7).

Hoops HQ’s Seth Davis

Seth Davis slotted Illinois at No. 4 in his AP ballot – highest among the experts we include here – putting Illinois behind only Arizona (No. 3), Duke (No. 2) and Michigan (No. 1).

ESPN’s Dick Vitale

Legendary ESPN commentator Dick Vitale had Illinois at No. 8 in his updated AP ballot, which ranked second among Big Ten teams, with Michigan naturally claiming that top slot.

Where should the Illini rank?

The metrics favor Brad Underwood's crew, and the eye test tends to tell a similar story, but after falling at home to Wisconsin – an admittedly scorching-hot club – Illinois had to slip a bit.

The general consensus is the Illini have the ability to beat any team in the country – a notion we firmly agree with. But until they consistently beat the teams they should be beating, they can’t slot any higher than eighth.