Illinois is back in the top 10, and they didn’t sneak in - they kicked the door down.
After a stretch of dominant play, the Fighting Illini have climbed to No. 10 in the latest Coaches Poll, their highest ranking since mid-November. Back then, they were riding a 4-0 start and sitting pretty at No.
- Now, they're riding a nine-game winning streak and looking every bit like a team that belongs among college basketball’s elite.
The streak, which began with a Dec. 22 win over Missouri, includes seven victories against Big Ten opponents - but none bigger than their Jan. 24 statement win over Purdue. That win didn’t just help Illinois climb; it sent Purdue tumbling to No. 12 after back-to-back Big Ten losses.
And while the team effort was impressive, make no mistake: this past week belonged to Keaton Wagler.
The Illinois freshman delivered one of the most jaw-dropping performances we’ve seen from a first-year player in recent memory. Wagler poured in 46 points - the most ever by an Illinois freshman and tied for second-most in program history.
He was lights-out from deep, hitting 9 of 11 from beyond the arc to set a new school record. And to top it off, he scored the Illini’s first 14 points of the game, single-handedly setting the tone against Purdue.
It wasn’t just a breakout game - it was the kind of performance that gets remembered when March rolls around.
Elsewhere in the poll, Texas Tech continues to surge. The Red Raiders have climbed to No. 11 after knocking off Houston on Jan. 24 - their second top-15 win in less than two weeks. Since early December, Texas Tech has dropped just two games, and they’re shaping up to be one of the more dangerous teams in the country heading into February.
Here’s how the rest of the Jan. 26 Coaches Poll shakes out:
Coaches Poll - Jan. 26
- Arizona (31)
- Michigan
- UConn
- Duke
- Nebraska
- Gonzaga
- Houston
- Michigan State
- Iowa State
- Illinois
- Texas Tech
- Purdue
- BYU
- Kansas
- Vanderbilt
- Arkansas
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- Clemson
- Louisville
- Florida
- Saint Louis
- Alabama
- St.
John's
25.
Miami (OH)
25.
Iowa
Others receiving votes: Georgia (33), Tennessee (30), Texas A&M (19), Villanova (15), Saint Mary's (9), SMU (4), Kentucky (3), Utah State (2), Liberty (1)
As we head into the heart of conference play, Illinois and Texas Tech are two teams you’ll want to keep an eye on. Both are heating up at just the right time - and both have the kind of momentum that can carry deep into March.