16. Illinois (6-1)
Much of Illinois’s roster looks very different after last season’s run to the Elite Eight. Brad Underwood didn’t sit on his hands and has acquired young and transfer talent that just might have the Fighting Illini in great shape once again. This team looked quite outdone in a loss at Alabama just over a week ago but they bounced back more than nicely during this past week.
For starters, they made exceedingly quick work of Little Rock at home back on Monday night, winning 92-34 in a laugher. Kasparas Jakucionis had 21 points, Tomislav Ivisic had a double-double, and the Fighting Illini never had any issues with the Trojans. The same can almost be said for a much more significant matchup on Thanksgiving, as Illinois never trailed in a 90-77 win over a ranked Arkansas squad. The same two new faces starred again, with 23 points from Jakucionis and a 21-point, 10-rebound effort from Ivisic.
The Illini had their best shooting effort of the season against the Razorbacks but have also gotten the job done on defense, especially against smaller opposition. That new-look frontcourt is full of young, international talent and Underwood may have outdone himself if they can continue to turn into studs as the season progresses. Illinois gets a brief taste of Big Ten play next on the docket with the annual road trip to Northwestern late next week.