NCAA Basketball top 25 power rankings: Wisconsin rises, Duke and Purdue fall

24. Illinois (11-3)

Four games into the season, Illinois was in a disappointing place at 2-2, with a pair of surprising losses. Since working Kofi Cockburn back into the lineup, this Illini team has blossomed and has looked the part of a contender in this Big Ten race. Imagine how this team will look when they get Andre Curbelo back in the coming weeks.

This week, the Illini took care of two more of their Big Ten foes, starting with a big 76-53 road win at Minnesota on Tuesday. That dynamic defensive performance also featured a dominant 29-point outing from Cockburn against a struggling Golden Gophers squad. Two days later, Illinois got another nice win, outlasting Maryland for a 12-point win at home, with another dynamic outing from Cockburn (23 points, 18 rebounds) in the win.

Illinois is 4-0 in the Big Ten and has a national player of the year candidate in Cockburn who is playing incredible basketball. The Illini are starting to show why they can be a deep threat in March this year, and you won’t find a Cockburn-like player on many other contenders this season. Next week, this team gets a road game at Nebraska and a home date with Michigan, giving them a legitimate path to a 6-0 start in conference play.