Illinois college basketball power rankings: Where teams stand through mid-February
A complementary Tom Izzo gives his thoughts on Northwestern basketball
The Spartans beat Northwestern 78-68, but Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was highly complimentary of the 'Cats.
It's hard to believe March Madness is almost here.
There could be a handful of teams challenging for postseason berths, like Illinois, Loyola, Bradley, UIC and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. Those moments will come sooner rather than later.
Here's everything you need to know about Illinois college basketball teams and where they sit in mid-February.
Illinois college basketball power rankings
1. Illinois: 17-8, 9-6 Big Ten
Kylan Boswell, Kasparas Jakucionis and Tomislav Ivisic play high-level basketball. Will Riley comes off the bench but could start at most programs countrywide. The problem is injuries and illness have knocked Illinois off its groove. There's no denying how talented this Illini team is, especially when they're hitting their stride.
2. Bradley: 20-6, 11-4 MVC
The Braves are every bit of the preseason MVC favorites we thought them to be. Duke Deen is a star. But, a rough stretch with losses to UIC and Northern Iowa brought BU down from atop the MVC to a fight for second. Don't let that deter you. Bradley will be a dangerous team to play come March.
ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 09: The Bradley fans react to a quick start by their team during a Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Arch Madness semifinal game between the Bradley Braves and the Drake Bulldogs on March 09, 2024, at Enterprise Center in St
3. Loyola: 15-9, 6-5 Atlantic-10
The Ramblers have the coaching, the experience and the players to keep pace atop of the A-10. Injuries hampered Loyola with Justin Moore suffering a season-ending injury being the toughest blow. Heartbreaking losses to Dayton and George Mason, left the Ramblers picking themselves off the canvas, but there's no panic with head coach Drew Valentine and company. They went from 3-4 in the A-10 to 6-5.
4. UIC: 14-11, 7-8 MVC
Rob Ehsan has done one of the most commendable jobs in college basketball. He's pushed UIC out of the rut it's been in the last two seasons as the Flames have beaten Bradley on the road and Drake at home. UIC may be on a four-game skid, but Ehsan should still be in the talks for MVC Coach of the Year.
5. Northwestern: 13-12, 4-10 Big Ten
The ‘Cats just got dealt the worst hand possible. They lost Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach with season-ending injuries, and have dropped three straight following a West Coast trip. This team does not quit, though. Chris Collins, Ty Berry, Matt Nicholson and Nick Martinelli won't allow that. See their win over USC at home.
6. SIU-E: 17-9, 10-5 Ohio Valley
Brian Barone has something working in Edwardsville, and he's on pace for his best season at SIU-E. The Cougars have never had a 20-win season since becoming a Division I program, but behind Ray'Sean Taylor, Brian Taylor and Ring Malith they're three wins away from making that history.
CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 07: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the DePaul Blue Demons looks on during a college basketball game against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at Wintrust Arena on November 07, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois, (Photo by Mitchell Lay
7. DePaul: 10-12. 1-10 Big East
Chris Holtmann has a tough gig. He's trying to win in a place with little momentum to build on in one of the toughest conferences in America. Injuries to his team don't help, either. The good news is he's already doing much better than last year's DePaul team. The Demons still challenged UConn in Storrs, took Marquette to overtime and earned the respect of the Big East.
8. Illinois State: 15-11, 7-8 MVC
The Redbirds are finding their stride. ISU rebounded from a 2-5 start to conference play to sit at 7-8 in February. Having the second-best 3-point shooting percentage in the Valley helps.
9. SIU-C: 12-14, 7-8 MVC
Don't look now, but the Salukis are putting together a solid conference slate. They've won four of their past six, and have an easier final stretch of the season heading into the MVC Tourney.
10. Eastern: 8-18, 4-11 Ohio Valley
Eastern sits ahead of Western because of the edge in conference play. They both split the regular season match ups. Perhaps they'll get one more shot in the OVC Tourney?
11. Western: 9-17, 3-12 Ohio Valley
It's hard to believe how identical Western and Eastern are. They're among the last in the OVC in most team statistical categories, but Western is second in the OVC with a team 3-point field goal percentage of 37 percent.
12. NIU: 5-19, 1-10 MAC
The Huskies got their first conference win against Ball State to end January, but are running out of time to rally. NIU's offense isn't dismal – the Huskies are middle of the MAC in scoring – but their defense leaves a lot to be desired.
13. Chicago St.: 4-22, 4-7 NEC
The Cougars were winless to start conference play, but found some footing by winning two of their last four and are only three games under .500 in conference play. CSU has a record better than its difficult non-conference schedule dictates.