Good Morning, Illini Nation: Ballots due soon

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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball at large:

The clock is ticking on the timetable to put together my ballot for the preseason All-Big Ten poll. It's not due until Sunday. I've got some time — at least in theory.

There's this whole weekend trip to State College, Pa., thing that's going to get in the way. I should probably get all my Big Ten basketball responsibilities out of the way before spending 20 hours in the car for that round trip to Happy Valley to experience another top 25 football showdown and something Penn State is calling "Whiteout energy."

So, yeah, feeling a little pressure here. Especially since I now have to rank 18 teams for the annual media poll. Shoutout to the Columbus Dispatch's Adam Jardy and the Indianapolis Star's Zach Osterman for keeping it going strong for an eighth straight year after the Big Ten cut bait.

Ranking 18 teams shouldn't seem daunting since I have to rank more throughout the season in my role as an Associated Press Top 25 voter. But trying to put these 18 Big Ten teams — read that out loud a few times —seems especially challenging. That Big Ten rosters have changed more than Big Ten membership is probably the reason.

I also have to come up with the 10 best players and player, freshman and transfer of the year favorites. That's stymied me more than trying to rank the teams. Of the 19 players that earned first-, second- or third-team honors in 2023-24, only six return this season. Purdue guard Braden Smith is the lone first-team selection in that group.

There are tough decisions to make. Decisions that, given the annual upheaval in the conference that's only intensified with four new teams, will probably make me look like an idiot come March.

So I've got that going for me.