This is not a drill, the first AP Top 25 poll of the season is out, and the Illinois basketball team is a part of it.
It seems like just yesterday, the Illini were heading into the second round against a tough Kentucky squad in the NCAA tournament. Well, there have been some changes since then, but shockingly, not as many as the offseason prior.
With some key pieces returning to the team, the AP Top 25 had to have taken that into consideration. On Monday afternoon, they released the preseason AP Top 25 poll and had Illinois ranked No.