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The five game win streak was great, as it salvaged what looked to be a season spiraling out of control to put the Illini back into the NCAA tournament with room to spare. What that five game win streak wasn't able to do, however, was put the Illini back into the rankings.
And after a loss to Michigan on Sunday we'll be going yet another week without one of those cute little numbers to the left of the word Illinois.
We are still receiving votes, though, so that's a consolation of sorts. In the AP Poll the Illini received 19 points which puts them in what would be 31st behind other schools receiving votes like Colorado State, VCU, Akron, Wichita State and St. Mary's.
Last week the Illini received 46 points in the AP Poll, which had them in 29th place. So apparently losing to Michigan in Ann Arbor is a no-no.
As for the Coaches Poll it's not much different. The Illini receive 5 points in the poll which is good enough to put them in a tie for 34th with UConn and Oklahoma. In last week's Coaches Poll they had nine points and were in 33rd.
And, if you're wondering, both Indiana and Gonzaga are ranked atop of both polls. Which means that both the Illini and Butler have beaten the top two teams in the country, and Illinois beat Butler on a neutral court.
And that means, no matter what some idiot with a ballot says, the Illini are the real #1.
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