CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – The Illinois men’s basketball team has risen to No. 13 in the latest Associated Press poll, marking a major leap after a dominant showing on their Pacific Northwest road trip. The Illini climbed nine spots in the rankings, moving up from No. 22 after securing impressive victories over two top-tier opponents.
The highlight of the week came last Thursday night when Illinois stunned No. 9 Oregon in a thrilling 109-77 win. It was the largest margin of victory on the road against a top 10 team in the history of the program. Just days later, the Illini held on for a 81-77 win over Washington, securing back-to-back road wins and extending their current four-game win streak.
With this momentum, the Illini now enter the week as the highest-ranked Big Ten team in the poll and one of six Big Ten programs in the Top 25. The victory over Oregon, in particular, turned heads across the country, as the Illini showed they could compete with and beat some of the best teams in the nation.
This week, Illinois faces Penn State at home on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and will also host Southern California on Saturday at 11 a.m. Both games will take place at the State Farm Center.
Across the rest of the Big Ten, there has been plenty of movement in the rankings. Oregon dropped six spots to No. 15 after their loss to Illinois, while Michigan State rose to No. 18 after two strong conference wins. Purdue held steady at No. 20, and Michigan entered the poll at No. 24. Meanwhile, UCLA slid seven spots to No. 22.
At the top of the poll, Tennessee (14-0) remains undefeated and sits at No. 1, with Auburn (13-1) trailing at No. 2. Iowa State (12-1), Duke (12-2), and Alabama (12-2) round out the top five teams.