After its elite eight run, Illinois is tops among teams receiving votes in the AP Top 25 college basketball poll.
The Illini have just two returning players from last year's elite eight roster in guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and forward Ty Rodgers.
Terrance Shannon, Jr. was the 27th overall pick in the NBA draft to the Minnesota Vikings. Marcus Domask is currently in the NBA G-League. Coleman Hawkins trasferred to Kansas State. Sincire Harris, Luke Goode, Amani Hansberry, and Dain Dainja all transferred from last year's team.
Illinois welcomes Kylan Boswell - a four-star transfer from Arizona highlights a dynamic transfer group to Illinois. Ben Humrichous is a four-star transfer from Evansville. Carey Booth is a four-star transfer from Notre Dame while Tre White comes to Illinois as a four star transfer from Louisville.
Five star freshman Will Riley headlines a dynamic prep recruiting group for Coach Brad Underwood.
The Illini will have some international flavor on their team this year. Kasparas Jakucionis comes to Champaign by way of Lithuania and Tomislav Ivisic is a Croatian big man - both four star recruits.
Kansas was picked first in the AP Top 25 preseason men’s basketball poll Monday, getting the No. 1 nod on half of the 60 ballots from a national media panel to start the season ahead of Alabama and two-time defending national champion UConn.
Kansas scooped up 30 first-place votes from the AP panel. The Crimson Tide, led by All-American guard Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson, earned 14 first-place votes and UConn, which is trying to become the first school since John Wooden’s teams at UCLA to win three straight titles, received 11 first-place votes and is third.
Houston earned four first-place votes and is fourth ahead of Iowa State, which returns its top four scorers from a team that was a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga received one first-place vote and is the sixth.
Duke, led by consensus No. 1 recruit Cooper Flagg, is seventh ahead of Baylor, North Carolina and Arizona in the top 10.
