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ESPN Names Top Ten National Title Contenders: Did Illinois Hoops Make the Cut?
Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood watches the action Friday, March 14, 2025, in a quarterfinals game at the 2025 TIAA Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament between the Maryland Terrapins and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ESPN Names Top Ten National Title Contenders: Did Illinois Hoops Make the Cut?

Originally posted on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI
By Jackson Langendorf  |  Last updated Jul 29, 2025 2:01 AM ET

Coming off a so-so season that ended with a middling Big Ten finish (12-8) and a Round of 32 exit from the NCAA Tournament, Illinois coach Brad Underwood and his staff a wasted little time reloading.

After leaning heavily on the inexperienced trio of Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley and Tomislav Ivisic (three first-year collegians) last season, the Illini have revamped their roster with a greater focus on proven experience.

Ivisic is back, along with senior guard Kylan Boswell, who will be joined by 23-year-old forward Ben Humrichous as Illinois' key returnees. Meanwhile, Illinois dipped into the transfer portal to add highly touted transfer Andrej Stojakovic and 7-foot-1 sniper Zvonimir Ivisic – both of whom have two seasons of Power Four experience under their belts. The other notable find came from international waters: Mihailo Petrovic, an experienced lead guard who has already spent a few years playing professionally overseas.

All in all, the Illini have a roster loaded with the most coveted combination in college basketball: experience and talent. But is it enough to place Illinois firmly in the conversation about national title contenders?

Well, according to ESPN, the answer is no. In fact, it’s not even enough to put the Illini in the top 10 – at least in the eyes of Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello. The pair of experts named 10 squads they view as championship contenders, and Illinois wasn't among them. Here are the 10 on the list:

PurdueFloridaHoustonUConnSt. John’sBYULouisvilleMichiganKentuckyDuke

All of those clubs are quite worthy of the “national title contender” label. Is Illinois not? The Illini have a easoned, proven head coach. Skilled, veteran players. Three projected NBA players. They seem to have it all.

But after Illinois’ 2024-25 campaign, the experts need more convincing. And when the Illini are set to once again rely on an international roster and a perimeter-oriented approach, Medcalf and Borzello – along with much of the rest of the country – will likely need to see this team in action before fully getting behind the idea.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

The Big Question: Should Illinois Basketball Keep Firing So Many Threes?

Illinois Basketball Loses Out on Four-Star Forward Colin Rice to Nebraska

Is Illinois' Brad Underwood a Top-25 College Basketball Coach of the Century?

This article first appeared on Illinois Fighting Illini on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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