Note: DePaul will join the rankings once its season begins. The Blue Demons returned to practice Sunday, according to CBS Sports.
1. Illinois (4-2)
The No. 6-ranked Illini will likely fall out of the AP Top 10 after their 81-78 loss to Mizzou Dec. 12. Still, they’re the best team in the state, which is why they’re still in the top spot.
2. Loyola Chicago (3-0)
In a crosstown matchup with UIC this afternoon, the Ramblers came out firing offensively, shooting 51.9% from the field and 50% from three-point territory in a 77-66 victory. With Northern Iowa guard and 2019-20 Missouri Valley Player of the Year AJ Green out for the season, Loyola Chicago could be the team to beat in The Valley this year. They’ll have a tough challenge coming up Dec. 15 when they travel to Madison for a game against No. 13 Wisconsin.
3. Bradley (3-1)
The reason Loyola Chicago isn’t the clear favorite in The Valley is because of the season Bradley’s putting together. The Braves looked good early and blew past Lewis 95-62 on Dec. 7. With three games left before Valley play begins, the Braves could be setting themselves up for a run at the top spot.
4. Southern Illinois (3-0)
Three Valley teams in the top five? Crazy, I know. But the Salukis opened some eyes with their 70-66 win over Murray State this week. Bryan Mullins’ crew continues to prove they’re better than they look on paper, which is why they jump into the top five this week.
5. UIC (3-2)
The Flames kept pace with Loyola Chicago in the first half today, but struggled in the second half and eventually lost 77-66. Still, the Flames showed some good signs, particularly from Teyvion Kirk (17 points, 5 rebounds) and Michael Diggins (16 points, 9 rebounds), which is why they could make some noise in the Horizon League. Conference play begins with two games against Oakland at Credit Union 1 Arena this weekend.
6. Northwestern (2-1)
I wanted to put the Wildcats higher — they were T-5th last week — but blowing an 11-point lead to Pittsburgh isn’t how you move up in the rankings. With Big Ten play looming, it’s hard to see much optimism in Evanston this year.
7. Illinois State (2-3)
After a decent showing against Murray State, Illinois State struggled against Ball State in an 82-66 loss Dec. 12. The Redbirds have one last non-conference game against Chicago State Dec. 15 before starting MVC play against Loyola Chicago Dec. 27.
8. Eastern Illinois (3-4)
The Panthers were going to be at No. 9 in this week’s rankings after they lost to Evansville 68-65 on Dec. 9, but their victory over Western Illinois put them ahead of the Leathernecks. Although Jay Spoonhauer’s team has made some noise early on by keeping up with Wisconsin and Dayton, Eastern Illinois is still in the bottom half of the rankings.
9. Western Illinois (1-4)
It’s shaping up to be a down year in Macomb for Rob Jeter’s group, which suffered a 92-88 loss to Eastern Illinois on Dec. 12. The Leathernecks don’t have another game scheduled until a Jan. 2 matchup with North Dakota State to open Summit League play, which is sure to impact their chances this season.
10. SIU-Edwardsville (2-4)
The Panthers’ game against Northwestern was canceled due to COVID-19 issues within the program, which turned out to be a false positive. It likely wouldn’t have changed their ranking this week, though, after their 80-58 loss to Valparaiso Dec. 9.
11. Northern Illinois (0-5)
After starting MAC play against Ball State in a 79-70 loss, the Huskies got blown out in a lopsided 106-53 loss to Luka Garza and Iowa today. Their next game is Dec. 18 against Chicago State in DeKalb.
12. Chicago State (0-6)
Chicago State looked decent in the first half against Loyola Chicago before falling 88-51 on Dec. 9. The Cougars were down to one coach — acting head coach Rodell Davis — and the Chicago Tribune reported they only had eight players available, which put the game in jeopardy. Despite the players reportedly wanting to postpone, the game went on and they suffered another blowout loss.