Note: DePaul hasn’t started its season yet. The Blue Demons will join the rankings as soon as they play their first game.
1. Illinois (3-1)
The No. 5-ranked Illini played a strong first half against No. 2 Baylor, but the Bears put their foot to the floor in the second half to coast to victory. Even so, it’s hard not to pick Brad Underwood’s squad as the top team in the state before their big matchup against Duke this week.
2. Loyola Chicago (1-0)
The start of the Ramblers’ season was delayed after 16 of 17 players and four of six coaches tested positive for COVID-19, but their first game — a 76-48 victory over Lewis Dec. 5 — was a good chance to shake off the rust. Porter Moser has plenty of different lineup combinations that will be crucial down the stretch, and big things lie ahead for his squad. Next up is a game against Chicago State at Gentile Arena before a showdown with UIC Dec. 13 at Credit Union 1 Arena.
3. Bradley (3-2)
The Braves started the week with their largest margin of victory in program history, a 105-32 win over Judson at Carver Arena but lost 88-84 to South Dakota State, Dec. 4. The Braves could be 5-0 if things broke the right way, though, which is why they’re still in the top three.
4. UIC (3-1)
The Flames got off to their first 3-0 start since 2000-01 with a 66-50 win over Valparaiso, Dec. 1 and kept close with Ball State, eventually losing 68-66 despite a late push. Still, Luke Yaklich is doing a great job so far in the West Loop, and a showdown with Loyola Chicago is coming up Dec. 13 at Credit Union 1 Arena.
T-5. Northwestern (2-0)
The Wildcats, coming off a pause due to COVID-19, came out firing in a 92-49 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and a 111-66 win over Chicago State. Chris Collins’ team had a rough go last year, so this year could be seen as make-or-break for a Wildcats squad that was picked last in the Big Ten preseason poll.
T-5. Southern Illinois (2-0)
Is it a cop out having a tie for fifth? Probably. But I’m my own boss, so it’s OK.
After a COVID-19-induced shutdown — and without head coach Bryan Mullins, who tested positive — the Salukis snuck out an overtime victory over Southeast Missouri 87-79 in their season-opener, Dec. 2. After coasting to a 102-61 win over Quincy Dec. 6, Southern Illinois is set for a tough matchup against Murray State Dec. 11.
7. Eastern Illinois (2-3)
The record doesn’t show it, but the Panthers have had a surprising start to the year. First, it was keeping up with a top-10 Wisconsin team, then it was losing to a tough Dayton squad by three, 66-63. Next up is a game against Evansville, which should be an EIU victory. All in all, some good signs from Jay Spoonhauer’s squad so far — even if the ranking doesn’t necessarily reflect it.
8. Illinois State (2-2)
The Redbirds shattered records this week with their insane 177-108 win over Greenville, Dec. 2. The score looked closer to normal (get it?) against Murray State, a 76-65 Racer win, but Illinois State continues to be a wild card this season in the Missouri Valley.
9. SIU-Edwardsville (2-3)
As expected, SIUE beat St. Louis College of Pharmacy to open the week before dominating Northern Illinois Dec. 2. But a close loss to Omaha dropped the Cougars under .500 and they have a good matchup coming up against Valparaiso Dec. 9.
10. Western Illinois (0-2)
The Leathernecks got their season going this week against Luka Garza — and, you know, the rest of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Talk about getting thrown in the deep end. They lost the next game 79-73 to Central Michigan Dec. 6 and while the distant future looks bright with Rob Jeter’s recruiting skills, this season might be a building year for Western Illinois.
11. Northern Illinois (0-3)
Last week, I said it’d likely be a down year for the Huskies. That’s proving to be true after they got blown out by SIUE at home. Expectations are low for Mark Montgomery’s group, and we’ll see if things will improve as the season gets rolling.
12. Chicago State (0-5)
It’s another rough start for Chicago State, this week falling to Eastern Illinois (76-58) and Northwestern (111-66). A good Loyola Chicago team is ahead this week, and I don’t suspect the Cougars to get out of the cellar anytime soon.