2024 Preseason Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Poll Results: Where Does Illinois Rank?

Illinois basketball projected for a top-five finish in a revamped 18-team Big Ten

Mar 30, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the finals of the East Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Illinois Basketball: 2024-2025 Preseason Big Ten College Basketball Media Poll

Results of an independent media poll conducted jointly by the Columbus Dispatch and the Indianapolis Star were released Wednesday, revealing a picture of what the coming Big Ten men’s basketball season – including the fate of a new-look Illinois program – might look like.

With 18 schools – including Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington – in the mix, it’s going to get a bit nuts. A total of 33 voters who cover the league predicted the order of finish and individual honorees. Here’s how it went:

Projected Big Ten standings (first-places votes in parenthesis):

1. Purdue, 572 (20)
2. Indiana, 549 (7)
3. UCLA, 510 (2)
4. Illinois, 458 (2)
5. Michigan State, 448 (1)
6. Oregon, 412
7. Rutgers, 391
8. Ohio State, 369 (1)
9. Michigan, 342
10. Maryland, 263
11. Iowa, 249
T-12 Wisconsin, 212
T-12 Nebraska, 212
14. USC, 196
15. Washington, 158
16. Northwestern, 153
17. Penn State, 87
18. Minnesota, 62

2024-2025 Preseason All-Big Ten College Basketball Team

Preseason Player of the Year
Braden Smith, Purdue

Freshman of the Year
Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Transfer of the Year
Oumar Ballo, Indiana

First team
Braden Smith, Purdue
Payton Sandford, Iowa
Oumar Ballo, Indiana
Bruce Thornton, Ohio State
Dylan Harper, Rutgers

Second team
Jackson Shelstad, Oregon
Ace Baldwin Jr., Penn State
Great Osobor, Washington
Ace Bailey, Rutgers
Dawson Garcia, Minnesota