Illini MBB projected to finish fourth for 2025-26 season

Illinois men’s basketball is projected to finish fourth in the Big Ten for the 2025-26 season, according to a poll of 28 Big Ten reporters, including Illini Inquirer, conducted by the Columbus Dispatch and Indy Star.

Purdue is projected to win the Big Ten, earning 25 of 28 first-place votes, and Michigan is projected to finish second, receiving the other three first-place votes.

UCLA was projected to finish third, earning 417 points, just ahead of Illinois, which earned 411 points.

The Illini’s highest projected finish was second (by four reporters), while the lowest Illinois was projected to finish was eighth (by two reporters).

No Illinois player was named to the preseason All-Big Ten First or Second Teams as Tomislav Ivisic and Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic were left just outside the top-10 spots, earning the 11th- and 12th-most points. Illini guard Mihailo Petrovic, a 22-year-old from Serbia, received one vote for Freshman of the Year.

After winning 22 games and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season, Illinois returns three potential starters from last season: All-Big Ten center Tomislav Ivisic, senior guard Kylan Boswell and senior forward Ben Humrichous. The Illini also added top-45 transfer Andrej Stojakovic (Cal) and Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas), and continued its Baltic pipeline by adding Serbian guard Mihailo Petrovic and Montenegrin forward David Mirkovic. Illinois is also excited about the potential of freshman guard Keaton Wagler.

Why it matters: Brad Underwood‘s program continues to be held in high regard despite constant churn to the roster. Illinois now has been projected to finish in the top four of the Big Ten media preseason in six straight seasons. Illinois largely has backed that up, finishing outside of the top five just once (finishing tied for seventh last season with a 12-8 conference record, one win behind a tie for fourth place) and finishing in the top-two three times. After a down decade, Illinois is clearly a top-tier Big Ten team expected to be in contention in each of the last six seasons. That’s some serious staying power through expansion and pay-for-play in a deepening, loaded Big Ten.

Illini predicted finishes with actual finishes

YearProjectedActual2025-264th???2024-254thT-7th2023-244th2nd2022-232ndT-5th2021-223rdT-1st2020-211st2nd*

*- Illinois won the most games in the Big Ten (16-4), but Michigan (14-3) was awarded the Big Ten title despite playing three fewer games because the Wolverines had a higher winning percentage

Big Ten media poll projected standings

1. Purdue (25 first-place votes)2. Michigan (3)3. UCLA4. Illinois5. Oregon6. Michigan State7. Wisconsin8. Iowa9. Ohio State10. Indiana11. Washington12. USC13. Maryland14. Nebraska15. Northwestern16. Minnesota17. Rutgers18. Penn State

Player of the Year: Braden Smith, Purdue

Also receiving votes: Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue (3); Donovan Dent, UCLA (1); Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan (1)

Freshman of the Year: Kayden Mingo, Penn State (6)

Transfer of the Year: Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan

Also receiving votes: Bennett Stirtz, Iowa (9); Donovan Dent, UCLA (8)

First Team All-Big Ten (unanimous selections in ALL CAPS)

BRADEN SMITH, PurdueTrey Kaufman-Renn, PurdueYaxel Lendeborg, MichiganDonovan Dent, UCLABennett Stirtz, Iowa

Second Team All-Big Ten

Bruce Thornton, Ohio StateNick Martinelli, NorthwesternNate Bittle, OregonJohn Blackwell, WisconsinJackson Shelstad, Oregon

Also receiving votes: Tomislav Ivisic (Illinois), Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois), Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA), Tucker DeVries (Indiana), Coen Carr (Michigan State), Oscar Cluff (Purdue), Riek Mast (Nebraska), Quimari Peterson (Washington), Desmond Claude (Washington), Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Jaxon Kohler (Michigan State), Fletcher Loyer (Purdue), Pharrel Payne (Maryland), Devin Royal (Ohio State), Lamar Wilkerson (Indiana), Wesley Yates (Washington)