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Illinois checks in at No. 32; Predictions for '09-10

Posted by: Paul Klee

Tuesday, April 7, 2009 2:26 PM

Voters in the AP Top 25 submitted their final ballots of the season back in early March, before the NCAA tournament. The ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll, on the other hand, has a final poll at the conclusion of the NCAA tournament.

The Coaches poll was released today and here it is, with Illinois checking in unofficially at No. 32. (Slightly ahead of Western Kentucky. Go figure.) Michigan State (No. 2) and Purdue (No. 14) were the Big Ten teams ranked ahead of the Illini.

- And here was our shot-in-the-dark prediction on the preseason Top 10 for next season. This was tougher than the last two seasons, because there is more uncertainty around the draft status of the top teams. I took into account the likelihood Carolina will be gutted by early entrants and banked on the idea guys like Jonny Flynn and Taj Gibson will return for their respective teams.

Really, no one knows their draft status, so we'll come out with another Top 10 after the June 15 deadline for players to withdraw.

These guys are the teams whose season could be decided on June 15: USC (arguably the nation's most talented team if everyone returns), Wake Forest (three possible early entrants) and Kansas (all eyes are on the decisions of Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich).

- To see if these (very) early Top 10 polls are ever close to the real thing.... The day of the 2008 NCAA title game (Memphis-Kansas), here's what our Top 10 looked like for this past season:

1. North Carolina (eventual NCAA champ)
2. UCLA (NCAA second round)
3. Duke (NCAA Sweet 16)
4. UConn (NCAA Final Four)
5. Purdue (NCAA Sweet 16)
6. Marquette (NCAA second round)
7. Kansas (NCAA Sweet 16)
8. Notre Dame (collapse)
9. Tennessee (collapse II)
10. Memphis (NCAA Sweet 16)

Really, I'm not sure what I was thinking with the Purdue pick, because I picked Michigan State to win the Big Ten. Who knows. But at least we had the NCAA champion correct.

- The day of the 2007 NCAA title game (Florida-Ohio State), here's what our Top 5 looked like for the 2007-08 season:

1. Memphis (eventual NCAA runner-up)
2. Kansas (NCAA champion)
3. North Carolina (NCAA Final Four)
4. UCLA (NCAA FInal Four)
5. Ohio State (NIT)

Next season can't get here soon enough.

pklee@news-gazette.com