Where does Illinois basketball sit in all rankings heading into 2025 season?

Most national college basketball rankings have been released ahead of opening night on Monday, November 3rd. Expectations are high for Brad Underwood and this Illinois team heading into the 2025–26 season, as nearly every national outlet has Illinois basketball pegged as a top 20 team.

Below is a look at where the Illini stand in various preseason rankings from national media outlets and analytical sites:

Field of 68: 19

ESPN: 16

CBS: 24

The Athletic: 11

College Hoops Today: 22

AP Poll: 17

KenPom: 6

Bart Torvik: 7

Evan Miya: 8

Haslametrics: 16

Robby Nardini: 16

I have Illinois ranked No. 16 in my own preseason rankings, projecting the Illini to finish 21–10 overall and 13–7 in Big Ten play.

CBS is the lowest on Illinois at No. 24, while the advanced analytics are much more bullish with KenPom, Bart Torvik, and Evan Miya all ranking the Illini inside the top 10 nationally. The Athletic gave Illinois its highest human ranking at No. 11.

Those strong analytical projections make Illinois an early favorite in its two marquee nonconference matchups against Texas Tech and Alabama to begin the year. KenPom projects Illinois to beat Texas Tech 80–75 and Alabama 88–82, finishing the season 23–8 overall and 14–6 in conference play.

Bart Torvik’s model is similar, predicting a 22–9 record and 13–7 in the league. Both sites expect the Illini to be favored at home against Texas Tech and in front of a pro-Illinois crowd against Alabama in Chicago.

Expectations for this season are as high as ever. Illinois has been ranked in the preseason KenPom top 10 only once during Brad Underwood’s tenure. That was entering the 2021–22 season, when the Illini were No. 4 nationally, went on to win the Big Ten regular-season title, and reached the Round of 32.

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