Illinois

Illinois Basketball Climbing Fast in AP Top 25 After Dominant Win vs. Arkansas

Published

1 year ago

December 2, 2024

Illinois Basketball Climbing Fast in AP Top 25 After Dominant Win vs. Arkansas

After a volatile week in college basketball when highly ranked teams were beaten like drums, Illinois took advantage in the latest AP Top 25 voting.

The 6-1 Illini – who had a very nice 90-77 win against then-No. 19 Arkansas on a neutral floor in Kansas City, Missouri, last Thursday – re-entered the Top 25 at No. 19. That’s 12 spots better one week after they had received the 31st-most points in the voting.

College basketball is looking wildly unpredictable already. Mighty UConn lost three straight games last week. Fellow top-six teams Gonzaga, Iowa State and Houston lost four times between them. North Carolina and Indiana lost twice apiece. There are going to be a great many teams capable of doing damage when the NCAA Tournament rolls around.

The Illini, with so much positional versatility and three-point shooting, should be one of those teams. But a poor start in conference play for the Illini is the last thing they need. Their Big Ten opener is at Northwestern this Friday at 8 p.m. Central.

As one of 62 voters in the weekly AP poll, I had the Illini at No. 20 on my preseason ballot and since have ranked them 21st, 23rd and now 15th. They are one of my biggest climbers this week.

The Big Ten has four teams in the current poll: Purdue at 8, Wisconsin at 11, Oregon at 12, Illinois at 19. Michigan State was first among others receiving votes.

AP Top 25: 1. Kansas, 2. Auburn, 3. Tennessee, 4. Kentucky, 5. Marquette, 6. Iowa State, 7. Gonzaga, 8. Purdue, 9. Duke, 10. Alabama, 11. Wisconsin, 12. Oregon, 13. Florida, 14. Cincinnati, 15. Baylor, 16. Memphis, 17. Houston, 18. Pittsburgh, 19. Illinois, 20. North Carolina, 21. Oklahoma, 22. Texas A&M, 23. Ole Miss, 24. San Diego State, 25. UConn.

My latest ballot: 1. Kansas, 2. Auburn, 3. Iowa State, 4. Alabama, 5. Gonzaga, 6. Marquette, 7. Purdue, 8. Tennessee, 9. Wisconsin, 10. Kentucky, 11. Duke, 12. Ole Miss, 13. Cincinnati, 14. Florida, 15. Illinois, 16. Memphis, 17. Pittsburgh, 18. Oklahoma, 19. Texas A&M, 20. Texas, 21. Houston, 22. San Diego State, 23. Michigan State, 24. North Carolina, 25. UConn.

Illinois Basketball Makes Impression in NCAA’s Initial NET Rankings

Illinois Basketball Report Card: Grades vs. Arkansas (Game 7)

Instant Analysis: Illinois Basketball Outguns No. 19 Arkansas 90-77

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Illinois

Last-minute gifts made in Illinois, local small businesses

Published

6 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Last-minute gifts made in Illinois, local small businesses

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 6:44PM

CHICAGO (WLS) — There’s still time to get a gift under the tree that is made in Illinois.

ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watch

The Illinois Office of Tourism is out with its “Illinois-Made Holiday Gift Guide.”

Seventeen small businesses from across the state are featured.

From soap, to popcorn, to fudge and coffee, there are some great ideas.

Kribi Coffee Air Roastery, Garrett Popcorn Shops, The Fudge Pot and Soapy Roads are some of the brands featured in the list.

To see the full guide, click here.

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Illinois

Illinois high school football playoffs expanding in 2026

Published

18 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Illinois high school football playoffs expanding in 2026

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (KWQC) – The IHSA football playoffs will be expanding by 50 percent in 2026.

IHSA member schools approved an amendment to expand the playoffs from 32 teams per class to 48.

There will still be 8 classifications increasing the total number of playoff teams from 256 to 384.

As a result of the change, the start of the season will be moved up by a week in August to allow the season to still finish with State Championship games the week of Thanksgiving.

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Illinois

Woman found dead near Schamburg, Illinois shopping center, man in custody

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Woman found dead near Schamburg, Illinois shopping center, man in custody

December 16, 2025 / 10:36 AM CST
/ CBS Chicago

A woman was found dead near a shopping center in Schaumburg, Illinois early Tuesday, and a man was taken into police custody.

Around 5:25 a.m., Schaumburg police were called to the 100 block of South Roselle Road. They found a woman dead at the scene.

Police said a man was taken into custody at the scene.

The investigation so far indicates that the incident was domestic, and the man and woman knew each other.

Police said the incident was isolated and there was no threat to the public. But there was a large police presence at the scene, and alternate routes were advised.

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