It’s hard to think of a time where expectations have been higher in Champaign.
In his updated 2026–27 Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello has Illinois slotted at No. 3. If this holds into the fall, it will mark just the fourth time in program history, and the first since the 2004-05 season, that the Fighting Illini enter a season ranked in the preseason Top 5.
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Notably, this ranking came out before the Illini announced David Mirkovic underwent surgery last week. It is reported he will only be out for 6 to 8 weeks.
Illinois has earned the high off-season praise. After a summer of retaining the core of Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic and Jake Davis, a group that went to their first final four since 2005. They also managed to acquire immense high school and transfer portal talent to compliment the already experienced core. Brad Underwood has built a roster with both a high floor and a massive ceiling, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the Illini this high in the preseason polls.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 04: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks on against the UConn Huskies during the first half in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Illinois will have an early season test vs UConn at the United Center, which Borzello noted as the key non-conference matchup of the season. He also projected the starting lineup as:
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Quentin Coleman (No. 24 in SC Next 100)
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Stefan Vaaks (15.8 PPG at Providence)
It’s always fun looking at preseason projections and seeing which teams hold on to their rankings when the season officially begins. The full ESPN Way-Too-Early Top 25 is as follows:
The Big Ten is shaping up to be a gauntlet once again, featuring six teams in the preseason top 25 and three cracking the top 10. While early season polls are bound to shift as the games unfold, there is no denying the conference’s depth and elite talent heading into the fall.
Illinois will officially start their high-expectation campaign at home when they host Fairleigh Dickinson on Monday, Nov. 2.
