Illinois basketball was already poised to have a big 2026-27 campaign, but a little help from the national media is welcomed.
Brad Underwood has assembled quite the cast for this season. Coming off a Final Four trip less than a year ago, Illinois' roster has been tweaked just enough to make us one of the top programs in the country.
Despite having talent up and down the roster, some of the national media don't think the Illini's top freshman is one of the best players in the country.
On Tuesday, CBS Sports released a list of the top 100+1 players in college basketball. Illinois was well-represented.
David Mirkovic is at No. 4 and rightfully so. He is incredible. Andrej Stojakovic at No. 31, Tomislav Ivisic at No. 45, and Stefan Vaaks at No. 53 round out the members of the Orange and Blue who made the list.
There is one noticeably name missing from the top 101 players in college basketball.
Quentin Coleman.
Now, I know my eyes can deceive me. So, what does any respectable person in 2026 do to make sure I am not misseeing something? Consult ChatGPT, obviously.
I took screenshots of the post and asked ChatGPT who from Illinois made the list. It said the four names I mentioned. I then asked specifically if Coleman was on the list. It said no.
My assumption is that Coleman not making the top 101 players in college basketball is because people voting for this at CBS just forgot him. There is no other explanation.
On the Illinois roster alone, Coleman is at worst the second-best player. I think Mirkovic is the best player in the country, but Coleman is better than Stojakovic, Ivisic, and Vaaks. Respectfully, I am not sure why Ivisic is on the list.
Adam Finkelstein, the Director of Basketball Scouting at CBS Sports, released a 2027 NBA Mock Draft back on October 19. This was before Coleman had played a game. He had Coleman getting picked No. 15 overall, the top Illinois player in the draft and a mid-first-round selection.
Coleman finally got a chance to suit up on Monday. Did he lay an egg, thereby giving CBS Sports a reason to send him plummeting? Nope.
Coleman, in his first game in the college ranks , put up 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals against Fairleigh Dickinson.
At the end of the day, Coleman is undoubtedly a top 101 player in college basketball. The fact that he is not in the top 20, let alone the top 101, is mind-boggling.
The thing with Coleman is that he is only going to get more chances to shine on the court for the Illini this season.
Mirkovic is out after two surgeries. He might not be back until Big Ten season. Jake Davis went down with an injury in the Fairleigh Dickinson game . He is out for a while, too.
That opens the door for Coleman to take the reins. Those are two big-time players who were going to get their shots. Now, Coleman can take those shots and grow as a player in his freshman season.
There is no doubt in my mind that CBS Sports made a boo-boo. Coleman is one of the best players in the country, and he is ready to prove it with the Orange and Blue.
This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as Quentin Coleman top list snub only adds fuel to the fire for massive season with Illinois basketball .
