The Illini jumped into the AP Top 10 after an upset win over Purdue
Illinois basketball has been great lately. After a three-point loss to Nebraska, the Illini have won nine straight. It includes Illinois upset Purdue on Saturdaywinning 88-82. Now the program got more good news, jumping into the AP Top 10 after a win over Purdue.
Illinois it is now in ninth place in the AP Top 25 poll, jumping from No. 11 in last week’s poll. Meanwhile, Purdue dropped to No. 12 after going fourth in the game against Illinois.
The top three teams in the ranking remained unchanged. Arizona remained in first place, receiving all 60 first-place votes. Meanwhile, UConn and Michigan remained second and third, respectively. Duke moved up one spot to four, and Nebraska rounded out the top five.
For Illinois, this was a steady climb back into the top ten. The Illini were ranked No. 17, but moved up to eighth in the Week 3 poll. After the losses, Illinois fell to an unranked position by week nine, before returning to the Top 25.
Being ranked in the top 10 twice in a season is something Illinois hasn’t done since the 2023-24 season, when the team cracked the top 10 six times and finished the season ranked sixth.
Illinois is now 17-3 on the seasonand 8-1 in Big Ten play. That puts them in second place in the Big Ten, tied with Michigan and Michigan State. The Illini have a great chance to jump into the Top 25 next week. They will face Washington on Thursday before facing fifth-ranked Nebraska, which also leads the Big Ten, next week.
2026-01-26 20:14:00
