Illinois opened the 2026-27 season at No. 3 in the AP preseason poll, sitting behind only No. 1 Florida and No.
2 Duke, with UConn at No. 4 and Arizona at No. 5.
For the Illini, it’s a ranking that confirms the buzz around this team all offseason. Brad Underwood has been talking up the expectations for months, and now the national media has joined in. Illinois is coming off its Final Four run in 2026, has key roster retention, and brought in new pieces to go with that momentum.
The placement also snaps two notable droughts for the program. Illinois has not been ranked in the AP preseason top five since the 2004-2005 season, and it had not cracked the top three since 2001.
That kind of respect, of course, comes with the usual preseason caveat: it only means so much once the games start. Last season’s poll is a reminder of that.
Purdue opened at No. 1, Houston at No.
2, Florida at No. 3 and UConn at No. 4, and all four finished as top-two seeds in the NCAA Tournament. More broadly, every one of the top eight teams in the 2025-26 NCAA Tournament had shown up in the preseason AP poll, and all of them were inside the preseason top 16.
At the same time, the list wasn’t a perfect blueprint. Four of the top 10 preseason teams ended up no better than a No. 5 seed, though none fell below a No.
- So while a high preseason ranking doesn’t hand out trophies, it did track pretty well with postseason success a year ago.
Florida’s case is the simplest one. The Gators have been a No. 1 seed in each of the last two NCAA Tournaments, won the title in 2025, and bring back four players from last season’s team, all of whom had major roles. That’s a loaded mix of experience, talent and proven results.
Duke is right there too, and the Blue Devils look like the Blue Devils again. Jon Scheyer has a backcourt that could be the best in the country, with four guards who would start anywhere else. He also has a wing stopper in Dame Sarr, a frontcourt force in Patrick Ngongba, and the projected No. 1 pick for the 2028 NBA Draft.
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje is 7-foot-2, has a buttery-smooth stroke and dunks everything around the rim. He’ll be a household name in college hoops soon enough, and it’s patently unfair that Scheyer gets two years of his services.
So does Illinois deserve to be even higher? Not above Florida or Duke.
The Illini have every reason to expect their best season in decades, and that’s saying plenty after a Final Four run. But for now, No. 3 is where they belong.
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Illinois Freshman Just Gave Bearcats Fans A Glimpse Of A Problem
Quentin Coleman gave Illinois a little bit of everything in the exhibition win over Cincinnati, and it was the kind of performance that hints at how quickly he could become a problem for opponents. The freshman guard, already known around the program as an elite shooter, added 14 points, eight assists and seven rebounds while showing he can do more than wait on the perimeter and fire away.
He got into the lane, created for teammates and even helped on the glass, the sort of all-around line that fits what Brad Underwood has been emphasizing since Coleman arrived. Underwood has praised the freshmans relentless effort and defensive potential, and if this night was any indication, Illinois may have a newcomer whose value stretches well beyond the points column. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Just Added More Intrigue To Illinois Biggest Home Test
Oregons trip to Gies Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24 was already one of the more interesting dates on Illinois schedule, and the Ducks have now added another layer to it. The program unveiled a new majority-white uniform combination for the game, part of its ongoing collaboration with Nike and designers, with input from athletes and staff.
The look is built around design elements that nod to former players and to Oregons history, giving the matchup a little extra visual punch before a snap is played. For Illinois, the larger issue remains the same: a major home test against a nationally recognizable program, now arriving with a fresh uniform rollout attached to it. [Read more 🡒]
David Mirkovic Gives Illinois A Huge Edge With One Big Catch
David Mirkovics name already carries plenty of weight in Illinois basketball circles, and the preseason recognition only reinforces that. The forward was named to the AP Preseason All-America starting five, putting him alongside the countrys best players and underscoring how much the Illini expect him to matter once the games count.
The only caveat is a significant one: Mirkovic is still coming back from a foot injury that required surgery in early August. He is expected back during the season, but Illinois does not yet know whether he will be available for the early exhibitions or the opening stretch, which makes his status one of the most important storylines around the program as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]