GMIN roundup

The overwhelming number of good, but certainly not great, college basketball teams has made an already tricky task of voting in the Associated Press Top 25 poll an even more diabolical adventure each week.

Auburn and Duke, at least, have come through on a weekly basis.

They keep winning.

The rest of the Top 25 teams in the country cant say the same.

It was 19 ranked teams losing three weeks ago.

Then 15 more that lost the next week, and now 14 more this past week.

Some more than once, although those are easier to handle.

Oregon drops consecutive games at UCLA and home against Nebraska to run its losing streak to three? The Ducks were an easy team to simply avoid considering altogether (although 10 voters still found them worthy).

Illinois was one of the 14 ranked teams to lose at least once last week and slid in the poll accordingly.

Lets dive deeper: The Illini remain on just 36 of 62 ballots.

Theyre the only seven-loss team in the Top 25 and one of just four when you include the 15 additional teams that were in the others receiving votes category.

The other three include 16-7 Gonzaga, 14-7 Baylor and 15-7 Texas.

Texas Tech might not have as many Quad I wins as other ranked teams, but its computer numbers are high across the board.

Thompson was at least consistent after also not voting for the Red Raiders last week.

Evans dropped them from No.

17 despite beating then No.

6 Houston with their best player on the court just shy of 4 minutes.

Illinois included.

The computers still love Brad Underwoods team.

The Illini remain seventh in Torvik, 12th in the NET and 13th in KenPom.

Its part of the reason why Illinois is the only seven-loss team on my ballot (and just barely this week).

The other part? The Illini have six Quad I wins after Sundays comeback against Ohio State and a 9-7 overall record in the first two quadrants and zero losses in the last two quadrants now that USC has gotten its act together.

Last weeks loss at Nebraska might have been disappointing primarily for how poorly Illinois played in several areas but it was still just a Quad I loss.

Those dont hurt you.

So, the Illini stayed on my ballot.

For now.

Eventually the substance of their resume has to catch up to the metrics.

First up? Not losing this week to Rutgers and Minnesota even if both games are on the road.

Underwood indicated during his postgame radio appearance Thursday night in Lincoln, Neb., that a change might be coming to his starting lineup.

Asked about what that might look like or if it would even happen for Sundays return to action against Ohio State, the Illinois coach was noncommittal.

Then Sunday came, and there were multiple changes to the lineup.

Tomislav Ivisic returned from his three-game, mononucleosis-driven absence and resumed his role as a starter, but Morez Johnson Jr.

stuck as one of the first five (over Ben Humrichous) and Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn made his first career start (over Kylan Boswell).

We have gotten really comfortable with a group together that maybe, analytically, hasnt worked, Underwood said before making several changes.

Will Riley played two halves of dominant Big Ten basketball last month.

First came a 16-point first half at Michigan State.

The follow-up was a 13-point second half Thursday at Nebraska where the freshman forward scored 13 straight points to help Illinois combat a double-digit lead for the Cornhuskers.

Rileys February started much the same way.

The Illinois freshman scored 20 of his team-high 24 points in Sundays win against Ohio State and helped propel the Illini to a much-needed, come-from-behind victory.

All were signs of Riley starting to turn the corner after a dip in production and efficiency following his red hot start to the season.

Think that hes re-classed, Underwood said.

Think that hes had some big games, and he had them early so that readjusts where you go in the scouting report.

Hes never wavered.

Hes extremely competitive.

His work ethic hasnt changed.

I couldnt be more proud or pleased with his development.

Will is a really, really good hard-shot maker, and hes very gifted at getting to his spots.

I dont know if Ive coached a player thats 6-8/6-9 and just shy of 200 pounds now, but thin, and that gets to his spots as easily as he does.

Then he can do a lot with it.

Its learning to take the physicality.

Learn into grow into wanting to get fouled.

Those things come with time.

I liken back to (Ayo Dosunmus) freshman year, and Ayo had a hard time with that as well and became one of the elite finishers in college basketball with strength and time..

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