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College Basketball Expert Gives Illini Fan Base Strong National Ranking

Shandel Richardson|
Mar 23, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood leaves the court after the game against the Duquesne Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2024; Omaha, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood leaves the court after the game against the Duquesne Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports | Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

The Illinois Fighting Illini are expected to compete with the likes of Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and other well-known college basketball programs on the court this season.

The Illini fan base is also starting to receive national recognition.

According to Andy Kaz of the NCAA.com, the Illini have the nation's No. 6 fans.

"The Fighting Illini’s fan base is one of the most passionate audiences in college hoops, whether it’s online or in-person," Katz wrote. "The fans can turn a basketball game at State Farm Center into a massive party at any moment, especially when the team is on a roll."

Katz's Top 10 consisted of Kentucky, UConn, Kansas, Duke and Purdue. After Illinois, it was North Carolina, Indiana, Arkansas and Iowa.

The fans have a lot to cheer about this fall. This is one of the most anticipated seasons in school history. After making the Elite Eight last year, coach Brad Underwood overhauled the roster with several talented transfers and newcomers.

He added freshmen Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley and Morez Johnson. Jakucionis and Riley are considered potential one-and-done talents while Johnson won the Mr. Basketball award in Illinois as a high school senior.

The Illini play a schedule that features Duke, Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee in addition to the Big Ten docket. This marks the first year of UCLA, USC, Oregon and Washington.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Illinois Fighting Illini On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here