How about this stat?
After the Illinois women’s basketball team appeared at No. 23 in the preseason AP poll on Tuesday, the Illini became the only Big Ten program with a ranked men’s and women’s team ahead of the start of the new season.
Making a statement.
For the first time since 1999, the Illinois Men's and Women's Basketball programs are ranked in the AP Top 25 Preseason Poll, and they are the only Big Ten school to appear in both the Men's and Women's 2023 AP Top 25 Preseason Poll.