One Reason Illinois Basketball Shouldn’t Be the 2026-27 National Title Favorite

Brad Underwood has quickly turned Illinois into a perennial national title contender – or something very close to it. But for the past few seasons, the Illini were viewed more as a dark horse candidate capable of going on a run, rather than one of college basketball’s legitimate favorites.

In 2026-27, though, on the heels of a Final Four appearance and returning five of the eight rotation players from that unit, Illinois is firmly in that championship discussion. But should the Illini be the favorite? We already offered three reasons why the answer is yes – but here’s one hurdle that may hold them back:

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One issue keeping Illinois off the preseason college hoops mountaintop

Feb 14, 2026; Providence, Rhode Island, USA; Providence College Friars guard Stefan Vaaks (7) dribbles during the second half of the game against the St. John’s University Red Storm at Amica Mutual Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Natalie Reid-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The frontcourt? One of the top two in the country (admittedly, it’s tough to slot it above Florida’s). The wings? Andrej Stojakovic is one of the best small forwards in the nation, and Jake Davis is perhaps the country’s most experienced reserve. The coaching staff? Just proved itself capable of running the nation’s most potent offense and, at times, an unbelievably stingy defense.

But what about the backcourt? Talent isn’t lacking (there’s never a shortage of that in Champaign). Quentin Coleman was a five-star recruit, and Stefan Vaaks was the No. 16 overall transfer in the portal (per 247Sports). Freshman Ethan Brown is, by all accounts, ready to be a steady force off the bench.

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So at first glance, the guard positions don’t seem to be anything even resembling a weakness – and they likely won’t be. But the lack of certainty is worrying to an extent.

Vaaks has never played on an NCAA Tournament team. Providence went just 15-18 in his freshman season. Were his stats – 15.8 points and 3.2 assists – empty…

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Publish date : 2026-09-18 22:30:00

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