Illinois is ranked No. 23 in my preseason AP Top 25 poll. This runs counter to the position I've held for most of the preseason. Illinois has been my top pick this year, but before I sat down and listed all of the teams in my rankings, I thought they might end up outside of my top 25.
This is mostly because I have some questions about this Illinois team. Will Illinois shoot better than last season? Is Ty Rodgers the answer at point guard? Can Coleman Hawkins have a real breakout year and reach his full potential? What is the hallmark of their offense?
But Brad Underwood, who has Hawkins and Terrence Shannon Jr, did what he (mostly) wanted to do in the offseason, and he's certainly gotten older. An experienced team can make a difference. Having more 23- and 24-year-olds than freshmen is a good thing.
That's why Illinois and 24 other teams ...... all get my vote. Duke leads the pack. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Kansas was ranked No. 1 in the preseason, and the Jayhawks certainly have a team in that position. But the Blue Devils' combination of returning players and high-level freshmen is the kind of roster structure you can fall behind on, and that's why I have them at the top of the list.
The honest answer about the preseason poll is that there is no real answer. It is just a piece of paper. An opinion based theory (albeit a well thought out one). It doesn't always work.
Just look at last year. North Carolina was the preseason #1 ranked team (thank goodness it wasn't on my ballot), but didn't make the NCAA tournament. Connecticut wasn't even ranked and won the whole thing. The AP voters collectively screwed up that game.
The above is about The《University of Illinois Basketball: 2023-2024 Season Top 25 Predictions》, and finally, I would like to recommend you a pair of shoes new balance 2002r light arctic.
