Illinois returns four starters from a Final Four team and deserves to be in the conversation for preseason No. 1.
1. Illinois
Last season: 28-9 (15-5 Big Ten), Final Four
Coach: Brad Underwood, 10th season at Illinois. Underwood has it rolling at Illinois and is coming off his first Final Four. The Illini have finished in the top two of the conference in four of the last six seasons.
Key player: David Mirkovic is one of the hardest matchups in college basketball, a 6-foot-9, 250-pound point forward. With the loss of Keaton Wagler, Mirkovic will be used even more as the Illini’s primary handler. He has All-American potential.
Stat to know: The Illini are the perfect illustration of how basketball has evolved. They were the tallest team in college hoops last season, according to Ken Pomeroy’s tracking, and yet they attempted nearly half of their shots (49.7 percent) from 3.
Why they’re interesting: Five of the six leading scorers are back from an offense that was tied for the most efficient in the modern era (and likely all time). That kind of retention is very rare but not all that surprising for a group that seemed to love being around each other.
Read for free: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7681960/2026/10/12/big-ten-basketball-predictions-illinois-michigan-state/?unlocked_article_code=1.IFE.YR2_.ukfLKS7gtZyW&source=emp_shared_article&smid=re-share-ta
