Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Illinois Basketball’s Final Regular-Season Rankings: AP Poll, KenPom and NET

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jackson Langendorf | Last updated Mar 10, 2026 3:21 PM ET

In anxiety-inducing fashion, Illinois slipped past Maryland in College Park on Sunday, escaping with a 78-72 victory to finish off its 2025-26 schedule (mostly) on the right foot.

Now it’s on to the postseason for the Illini, who have built a bit of momentum – as much as any team can with victories over Oregon and Maryland – with back-to-back wins after dropping four of their previous six. Heading into the Big Ten Tournament, where Illinois is set to face the winner of Wisconsin-USC/Washington, here’s where the Illini rank in the AP poll and key metrics:

Where Illinois ranks in the AP poll

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Especially at this point of the campaign, the AP poll is all but meaningless – although it can arguably be a solid reflection of a team's recent performance. The Illini rank No. 9 in the latest AP poll (released on Monday), behind only two othe Big Ten teams (No. 8 Michigan State and No. 3 Michigan).

Illinois ranks lower in the AP poll than it does in any advanced metric – largely due to the AP poll’s emphasis on final results, which haven’t exactly shaken out in the Illini’s favor lately.

Where Illinois ranks in KenPom

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The Illini continue to receive their fair share of love from KenPom (where it ranks fifth overall), despite its relatively poor end to the regular season. Even with losses to Michigan State, Wisconsin, UCLA and Michigan – the latter of which was a blowout – KenPom has yet to lose faith in Illinois, which still has the No. 1 offense in the country.

Where Illinois ranks in Bart Torvik

Similar to KenPom, Bart Torvik – also used by the NCAA Tournament selection committee – remains quite high on Illinois. Bart Torvik slots the Illini at No. 6, with the No. 1 offense and 24th-rated defense. The Illini also notably shine in the offensive rebounding department (No. 3 in offensive rebounding percentage), as well as free-throw rate allowed (best in the country).

Where Illinois ranks in the NET

The advanced metrics simply can't show the Illini enough love. The NET rankings appear to have tremendous respect for Illinois’ schedule, as it slots Brad Underwood’s squad at No. 5, despite those seven losses. The next-closest team with seven or more losses is Louisville, at No. 13.

It's worth noting that the Illini have zero losses outside of Quad 1 competition, even if their seven Quad 1 wins don’t exactly leap off the page (17 other teams have as many).

This article first appeared on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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