Illinois basketball falls just outside preseason Top 25

(WCIA) — After finishing last season at No. 6, Illinois is on the outside looking in in the first AP Top 25 of the season.

Illinois received the 26th-most votes in the preseason poll, ten votes outside the Top 25. Purdue leads the four Big Ten teams in the rankings at No. 14.

Nine ranked teams are on Illinois’s schedule this year, including Ole Miss in an exhibition game.

AP Preseason Top 25:

1. Kansas
2. Alabama
3. UConn
4. Houston
5. Iowa State
6. Gonzaga
7. Duke
8. Baylor
9. North Carolina
10. Arizona
11. Auburn
12. Tennessee
13. Texas A&M
14. Purdue
15. Creighton
16. Arkansas
17. Indiana
18. Marquette
19. Texas
20. Cincinnati
21. Florida
22. UCLA
23. Kentucky
24. Ole Miss
25. Rutgers

RV: Vanderbilt 68, Nebraska 62, Arizona St. 39, Oklahoma 36, Washington St. 32, Iowa 29, Texas Tech 18, Syracuse 13, Arkansas 13, Utah 7, Louisville 6, Southern Cal 5, Liberty 2, UNLV 1.

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