The Athletic’s CJ Moore ranks Illinois basketball No. 1 in his first preseason top-25 rankings following the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline.
With Andrej Stojakovic withdrawing from the NBA Draft earlier this week to return to the Illini for his senior season, Illinois returns five of its top eight scorers from last season’s Final Four team: Stojakovic (13.5 points), David Mirkovic (13.3 points), Tomislav Ivisic (10.4 points), Zvonimir Ivisic (6.4 points) and Jake Davis (5.4 points).
The Illini lose All-American freshman guard and top-10 projected NBA Draft pick Keaton Wagler (17.9 points), potential second-round pick Kylan Boswell (12.3 points) and senior forward Ben Humrichous (5.8 points).
But Illinois added more high-ceiling young talent to fill those holes. Providence transfer guard Stefan Vaaks, who averaged 15.8 points as a freshman, is the No. 15 overall transfer of the offseason, according to 247Sports. The Illini also signed the No. 6 overall prep recruiting class in the country, according to the Composite rankings, headlined by five-star guard Quentin Coleman (No. 13 overall prospect, per 247Sports) and four-star guard Lucas Morillo (No. 52 overall prospect).
Moore picked Illinois over consensus No. 1 Florida. The next highest-ranked Big Ten team was Michigan at No. 5.
“Illinois has to replace a lottery pick, while Florida just has to replace guard Xaivian Lee; that’s a point in Florida’s favor,” Moore wrote. “But I’d argue that Illinois has upgraded its bench and found the perfect Keaton Wagler replacement in Stefan Vaaks.
“This will be another year together for a lovable core that had to gain confidence from its tourney run. Losing Kylan Boswell and Ben Humrichous will be a hit to the defense, and my biggest question is team speed, particularly on the perimeter, but this offense should be awesome again, and David Mirkovic is about to become a star. If Vaaks or Coleman end up looking like an NBA prospect, the ceiling is higher than a year ago because of the continuity in Champaign.”
Why it matters: The Athletic is the first major outlet to list Illinois No. 1, so Illinois isn’t exactly a consensus title favorite entering next season. But with so much continuity and incoming talent, the Illini aare once again considered a Final Four and national title contender entering the 2026-27 season. Other preseason rankings for the Illini include: No. 2 by Jon Rothstein, No. 4 by ESPN, No. 4 by Andy Katz, No. 6 by HoopsHQ and No. 7 by On3.
Big Ten teams in The Athletic’s Preseason Top-25
- 1) Illinois
- 5) Michigan
- 8) Michigan State
- 14) Iowa
- 16) Nebraska
- 21) Purdue
- 22) Indiana
What it means: Of course, preseason rankings don’t guarantee anything. Purdue, Houston and Florida were the top three in the AP Top 25 preseason poll last season, and none made the Final Four. Houston lost in the Sweet 16 to Illinois, and Florida lost in the Round of 32 to Iowa. Meanwhile, No. 7 preseason team Michigan dominated college basketball on its way to a national championship and a 37-3 overall record. Still, the Illini clearly enter 2026-27 with a high floor and a national expectation that they can once again contend for a Big Ten title, a Final Four appearance and potentially the program’s first national title. A lot will depend on the growth of the returners and how well Vaaks and Coleman assimilate into starring roles for a program with such high expectations. But a successful offseason of retention and addition will keep a bright spotlight on Brad Underwood‘s program entering next season.
