Illinois jumps into AP Top 10 after upset win over Purdue

Illinois basketball has been great as of late. After a three-point loss to Nebraska, the Illini have won nine in a row. That includes Illinois upsetting Purdue on Saturday, winning 88-82. Now, the program got more good news, jumping into the AP Top 10 after the win over Purdue.

Illinois is now ranked ninth in the AP Top 25 poll, jumping up from 11th in last week’s poll. Meanwhile, Purdue dropped to 12th after being ranked fourth heading into the game against Illinois.

The top three teams in the rankings remained unchanged. Arizona stayed at number one, taking all 60 first-placed votes. Meanwhile, UConn and Michigan stayed second and third, respectively. Duke moved up a spot to four, and Nebraska rounded out the top five.

For Illinois, this has been a steady climb back into the top ten. The Illini were ranked 17th, but moved up to eighth by the week three poll. After losses, Illinois dropped to an unranked position by week nine, before jumping back into the Top 25.

Being ranked in the Top 10 twice in a season is something Illinois has not done since the 2023-24 season, when the team broke into the top 10 six times and finished the season ranked sixth.

Illinois is now 17-3 on the season, and 8-1 in Big Ten play. That places them tied for second in the Big Ten, tied with Michigan and Michigan State. The Illini have a great chance to jump up in next week’s Top 25. They will face Washington on Thursday, before facing fifth-ranked Nebraska, which also leads the Big Ten, next Sunday.

The post Illinois jumps into AP Top 10 after upset win over Purdue appeared first on ClutchPoints.