Quentin Coleman’s omission from CBS Sports’ “Top 100 And 1” players list looks increasingly difficult to defend after his college debut.
The Illinois freshman opened his career Monday against Fairleigh Dickinson with 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three steals. That performance came after CBS released its national player rankings Tuesday, leaving Coleman outside a group that included four of his Illinois teammates.
David Mirkovic landed at No. 4, followed by Andrej Stojakovic at No. 31, Tomislav Ivisic at No. 45 and Stefan Vaaks at No.
- The rankings were compiled from ballots submitted by David Cobb, Gary Parrish, Isaac Trotter, Matt Norlander and Cameron Salerno.
Coleman was nowhere on the list.
That is a striking omission for an Illinois roster that already appeared positioned for a major 2026-27 season. Brad Underwood’s team is coming off a Final Four run less than a year ago, and its revamped roster has the Illini among the nation’s top programs.
Even within Illinois’ own rotation, Coleman’s talent stands out. Mirkovic may be the best player in the country, but Coleman has a strong case as the team’s No. 2 player - and, in my view, is better than Stojakovic, Ivisic and Vaaks. His absence from the rankings is difficult to explain, particularly when he did nothing in his debut to suggest he belonged outside the conversation.
CBS Sports’ own NBA draft outlook makes the snub even more curious. Adam Finkelstein, the network’s Director of Basketball Scouting, released a 2027 NBA Mock Draft on Oct. 19, before Coleman had played a college game. Finkelstein projected Coleman to be selected No. 15 overall, making him Illinois’ top projected pick and a mid-first-round selection.
Now Coleman has a college stat line to match the projection.
His opportunity could grow quickly, too. Mirkovic is sidelined after two surgeries and might not return until Big Ten play. Jake Davis was injured against Fairleigh Dickinson and is also expected to miss time.
Those absences remove two major contributors from Illinois’ plans and give Coleman a chance to take on a larger role immediately. Players who were expected to receive plenty of opportunities are unavailable, leaving more responsibility - and more chances to make the national rankings look outdated - in Coleman’s hands.
Being left out of the top 101 is one thing. Not appearing in the top 20 is even harder to understand. Coleman now has an entire season with the Orange and Blue to make the omission impossible to ignore.
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