Just as Illinois was tipping off against Purdue on Monday morning for a Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee, the Illini got news that they’re moving up in the polls.
After back-to-back wins over Nebraska and Michigan last week, Illinois checked in at No. __ in the latest AP poll. Illinois returned to the Top 25 at No. 25 last week after a six-week absence.
Illinois (13-3) entered Monday as the last undefeated team in the Big Ten, without superstar point guard Andre Curbelo playing in any of those six games.
But the Illini have continued to find a way coming out of its late-December COVID pause and haven’t lost in more than a calendar month.