CHAMPAIGN — The last time Illinois men's basketball was ranked in the AP Top 25, John Groce was coach, Centennial grad Rayvonte Rice was the Illini's leading scorer and State Farm Center had yet to be renovated.
It was a one-week stint for Illinois as a ranked team in early December 2014. Winning the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational pushed the Illini to No. 24 in the country. The next week they were out after a two-game split featuring a loss at No. 15 Miami in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and a home win against American.