Former Illinois Basketball Coach ranks Illini highly

Former Illinois basketball coach, Bruce Weber, is now an analyst for BTN. Weber coached the Illini from 2003 to 2012 and held a 210-101 record. Coach Weber was the coach of the 2004-2005 team that made it all the way to the National Championship game. After being fired in 2012, Weber went on to coach at Kansas State for ten years. Bruce Weber may have had his pitfalls as a head coach, however, he is an astute basketball mind and a very likable personality. Because of this, he makes a great analyst for the Big Ten Network.

During the 2024 media day, Weber gave his projected top five teams for the conference rankings.

The Illini at…

Coach Weber had Illinois basketball ranked third. The top five were Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, UCLA, and a three-way tie between Northwestern, Michigan State, and Oregon. Of note, a Big Ten preseason poll had Illinois basketball ranked fourth.

The new eighteen-team format is certainly going to be competitive. There does not seem to be one team that is head and shoulders above the rest as with past years. Additionally, the four West Coast teams may have trouble adjusting but are historically competitive teams. Though Indiana and Purdue are popular picks to win the conference, the Illini definitely have the talent to compete with anyone.

After #B1GMediaDays, @coachbruceweber gave us his Top 5* #B1GMBBall teams 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/2O9anBDdsm

— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) October 3, 2024

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