The Illinois basketball team stunned people this season by making a Final Four run.
A 28-win campaign was impressive. The Illini made it in the postseason as a No. 3 seed, and we worked wonders only to fall short to UConn in an attempt to get back to the national championship.
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Brad Underwood has the Illinois basketball program clicking, and the national media is taking notice. On Thursday afternoon, Andy Katz of multiple outlets published his Power 44. This is the 44 best teams in college basketball heading into next season.
In past seasons, making the second sheet of No. 12 through No. 22 would have been a great achievement. Not for this Illini squad.
On the Power 44, Duke is No. 1. Florida is No. 2. Michigan is No. 3. And then you get to the Orange and Blue. Illinois checks in as the No. 4 team in the country.
Let that soak in for a second. No. 4. Even after Illinois lost our veteran guard in Kylan Boswell and an All-American in Keaton Wagler, Katz has us as a top-five program in the country.
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Retention and one big piece has to be why Illinois basketball finds themselves at the top of the mountain
I keep trying to think of reasons Katz would have the Illini as the No. 4 team in the country. Losing that much talent in the backcourt has to be a blow to any program.
The answers are simple, though. Underwood retained so much talent this offseason. Having two 7-foot-1 and taller players with Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic coming back is huge for the frontcourt.
Jake Davis gives Illinois more versatility. He likely comes off the bench and is a spark plug. Andrej Stojakovic has already said he is coming back, despite declaring for the NBA Draft. Everyone and their mothers think he is pulling his name out.
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The one big piece I mentioned above is David Mirkovic. I don’t think he is just a good piece returning to the roster. I think he legitimately has a chance to win the John R. Wooden Award for the best player in college basketball next season. It wouldn’t shock me to see Mirkovic rack up multiple triple-doubles for the Illini.
Illinois is No. 4 on the Power 44. You have to give Underwood and the Illinois coaching staff all of the credit in the world for keeping most of the team intact. Sprinkle in Stefan Vaaks and Quentin Coleman, and I think Illinois is right in line for a national title push. October can’t come soon enough.
This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as National media isn’t sleeping on Illinois basketball heading into 2026-27.
