Tennessee (1/2)
Oregon (10/19)
Purdue (16/21)
UCLA (18/13)
Mich St (20/17)
Michigan (24/23)
Arkansas (27/40)
Illinois (30/16)
Maryland (35/20)
Wisconsin (37/35)
Penn State (43/32)
Indiana (44/52)
Illinois, Maryland, and Penn State are underrated
Oregon, Arkansas, and Indiana are overrated
Tennessee is not the #1 team
Purdue is probably the 6th best team in the conference, not 2nd best. UCLA is currently the team to beat.
I've heard murmurs that fans and donors are disappointed with this Illinois team. I think that's incredibly shortsighted. The number one question going into the season was the defense, and we're 11th ranked in defensive efficiency already. The only thing holding this team back is 3-point shooting and I see more talented shooters in this rotation than any Illini team since 2011. Remember that this was a young team full of new pieces that was supposed to come together in February and March. Ten games in and we already have the KenPom profile of a 4-seed with massive upside potential. I was incredibly bullish on this team in the preseason and I'm actually more optimistic now than then. The analytics are ahead of the AP, but they bode extremely well for the rest of the season.
