NCAA Basketball Power Rankings: Seton Hall soars, Auburn drops

Illinois is rolling right now. After starting the season at just 9-5 (1-2 B10), the Fighting Illini appear to be finding their groove at a very good time. During the past couple of weeks, this team has played exceptionally well to build a four-game winning streak that has launched it into an early tie for second-place (with Rutgers) in the Big Ten standings.

Although three of these four wins came at home, it is important to mention that the Fighting Illini also went on the road for an impressive victory over Wisconsin during this stretch. Not everything has gone perfectly (only a four-point home win over Northwestern), but the results have been excellent as of late.

Even though Illinois is a young team, it is performing at a high level and deserves national attention. Stud sophomore Ayo Dosunmu has been predictably the team’s leading scorer so far this season but he is not alone. Freshman big man Kofi Cockburn, most notably, has been absolutely sensational. At 7-feet, 290-pounds, Cockburn is impressively well-built and carves out a ton of space in the paint. He is nearly averaging a double-double with 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game while helping the Illini to dominate the inside in most games.

Illinois also features three other players averaging 8+ points per game around Dosunmu and Cockburn as there is plenty of offensive balance. Illinois struggles as a 3-point shooting team but owns the glass (3rd-best off. reb. rate) and finishes at the rim well.

It’s impossible to argue with Illinois’ recent level of success.