Basketball

Illinois basketball entering the 2025-2026 season with sky-high expectations

With continued veteran leadership and an influx of intriguing talent, can the Illini live up to their billing?

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Image Taken At Ubben Basketball Complex, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL. Courtney Bay/Illinois Athletics

Illinois basketball enters the 2025-26 season with high expectations, coming in at No. 16 in Haslametrics’ preseason rankings. Haslametrics, one of the most respected analytical platforms in college basketball, evaluates teams throughout the year based on their efficiency.

This marks the third nationally trusted analytics site to slot the Illini inside the preseason top 20. Bart Torvik (Barttorvik.com) has Illinois at No. 7, while Evan Miya (Evanmiya.com) places them at No. 9.

For added context, Haslametrics closed last season with Illinois at No. 17 nationally and ranked them No. 11 at the conclusion of the 2023-24 campaign. The Illini also rank highly in key efficiency metrics, checking in at No. 14 offensively and No. 18 defensively.

Digging deeper into the numbers, Haslametrics currently projects Illinois to finish 24-7 in the regular season, with losses to Alabama, UConn, Tennessee, Ohio State, Purdue, UCLA, and Maryland. That projection includes only four conference losses, an outcome that would likely secure a Big Ten regular-season championship, but is highly unlikely. With Purdue widely considered the frontrunner, capturing the league crown would be no easy feat.

Meanwhile, Bart Torvik’s model predicts Illinois will finish 22-9 overall and 13-7 in conference play.

Expectations are clearly sky-high for this year’s Illini team. With a strong returning core and impressive new additions, Illinois basketball looks poised to remain ranked in the top 25 all season long, assuming health is on its side.

As their exhibition matchup against Illinois State draws closer, excitement is building for what could be a special year in Champaign.

Illini Men's Basketball | Brad Underwood Press Conference 10/2/25

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