Coming off a Final Four run and with multiple key players back from a 28-win team, Illinois will enter the men’s college basketball season at No. 3 in the AP Top 25. It matches the Illini’s second-highest preseason ranking ever; they also were third going into the 2001-02 season.
It’s the 22nd time for Illinois in the preseason Top 25 and the sixth under 10th-year head coach Brad Underwood.
Only No. 1 Florida and No. 2 Duke are ahead of the Illini, with UConn and Arizona fourth and fifth.
Five Big Ten teams are ranked, the others being Michigan State (No. 6), defending national champion Michigan (16), USC (21) and UCLA (22).
Guard Andrej Stojakovic, forward David Mirkovic and twin big men Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic will be running it back for the Illini, who have added freshman guard Quentin Coleman and sharp-shooting sophomore transfer Stefan Vaaks in a highly touted class of newcomers.
The Illini begin the season November. 2 and will face both Duke (Nov. 17 on the road) and UConn (Dec. 4 at the United Center) in non-conference games.
The highest Illinois has been ranked heading in was No. 2 in 1984-85, a season that ended in the Sweet 16.
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