CHAMPAIGN — Following Saturday’s upset win at then-No. 10 Gonzaga, Illinois fins itself in the Top 10 of the Associated Press’ basketball poll for the first time since the 2005-06 season when Dee Brown and James Augustine were seniors.

John Groce’s 10-0 squad, which also squeaked by Western Carolina last week, checked in at No. 10 in the Associated Press poll that was released Monday. They were also 10th in the coaches’ poll.

Illinois is one of four Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 10. Indiana (No. 1), Michigan (3) and Ohio State (7) are the others.

Missouri, Illinois’ Dec. 22 opponent in St. Louis, is ranked 11th.

The 2005-06 team finished the regular season ranked ninth in the AP poll.

In addition to the Top-10 ranking, Illini senior Brandon Paul was named the Big Ten’s Player of the Week after his 35-point performance in the win at Gonzaga.

Paul, who also had four rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks against the Bulldogs, was honored with a weekly award by the league for the second time in his career. He was the Player of the Week last season after his career-high 43 points in an upset of No. 5 Ohio State.

The 6-foot-4 guard also had 14 points in the Western Carolina win.

AP TOP 25

With first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 9, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:
    Record    Pts    Prv
 1. Indiana (44)    9-0    1,580    1
 2. Duke (20)    9-0    1,551    2
 3. Michigan    9-0    1,444    3
 4. Syracuse    8-0    1,378    4
 5. Florida    7-0    1,319    6
 6. Louisville    8-1    1,303    5
 7. Ohio St.    6-1    1,211    7
 8. Arizona    7-0    1,178    8
 9. Kansas    7-1    1,087    9
10. Illinois    10-0    991    13
11. Cincinnati    9-0    944    11
12. Missouri    8-1    877    12
13. Minnesota    10-1    714    14
14. Gonzaga    9-1    699    10
15. Georgetown    7-1    577    15
16. Creighton    9-1    525    16
17. New Mexico    10-0    512    18
18. San Diego St.    7-1    491    17
19. Michigan St.    8-2    328    19
20. UNLV    7-1    305    21
21. North Carolina    7-2    298    20
22. Notre Dame    8-1    283    22
23. Wichita St.    9-0    280    24
24. Oklahoma St.    7-1    251    23
25. NC State    6-2    213    25
Others receiving votes: Oregon 177, Pittsburgh 177, Kentucky 44, Wyoming 15, UConn 10, Marquette 8, VCU 6, Butler 5, Maryland 5, Murray St. 4, Alabama 3, Miami 3, Virginia Tech 3, LSU 1.

USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Poll
The top 25 teams in the USA Today-ESPN men’s college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Dec. 9, points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last week’s ranking:
    Record    Pts    Pvs
 1. Indiana (25)    9-0    769    1
 2. Duke (6)    9-0    749    2
 3. Michigan    9-0    705    3
 4. Syracuse    10-0    663    4
 5. Florida    7-0    644    5
 6. Louisville    8-1    609    6
 7. Ohio State    6-1    586    7
 8. Arizona    7-0    568    8
 9. Kansas    7-1    537    9
10. Illinois    10-0    465    14
11. Missouri    8-1    450    11
12. Cincinnati    9-0    447    12
13. Creighton    9-1    338    13
14. Gonzaga    9-1    325    10
15. San Diego State    7-1    292    15
16. Minnesota    10-1    225    21
17. UNLV    7-1    224    18
18. North Carolina    7-2    222    16
19. Michigan State    8-2    213    17
20. New Mexico    10-0    207    20
21. Georgetown    7-1    163    23
22. Kentucky    6-3    125    19
23. Oklahoma State    7-1    116    22
24. Notre Dame    8-1    110    25
25. N.C. State    6-2    93    24
Others receiving votes: Wichita State 88, Pittsburgh 74, Oregon 32, UConn 10, Murray State 10, Wyoming 8, Butler 4, Mississippi 2, VCU 2.