Big Ten Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2021-22 season

By Adam Childs | Apr 24, 2021

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 17: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans cuts down the net after beating the Michigan Wolverines 65-60 in the championship game of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at United Center on March 17, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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Big Ten Basketball Andre Curbelo Illinois Fighting Illini (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

. . . Fighting Illini . 9. team. 481

The Illini got great news at the beginning of last season when Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn came back to school. They aren’t going to get so lucky this year. Both are going to the NBA this year and it leaves a huge hole in the Illinois lineup.

They claimed a share of the Big Ten title this year even though Michigan won based on guidelines set up by the AD’s before the season. But that didn’t stop them from yelling to everybody that would listen that they deserved a share of the title.

They backed it up by winning the Big Ten tournament and claiming a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. They were a trendy pick to make the Final Four or even win it but fell flat against Loyola, Chicago in the second round.

That loss will be tough to bounce back from but not as tough as trying to replace Dosunmu and Cockburn. We know Brad Underwood will have his team playing great defense, but will they have enough offense. That is a big question mark and one that feels like they are going to take a big step back next year.

Until something changes the Illini are trending in the wrong direction and are in the bottom half of the Big Ten.

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