Illinois women’s basketball is ranked in the AP Top 25 poll before Thanksgiving for the first time since 2000.

By Matt Stevens - IlliniGuys Staff Writer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For only the second time since 2000, Illinois women’s basketball will have number next to its name before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Following season-opening wins over then-No. 19 Florida State and Marquette inside State Farm Center last week, Illinois (2-0) has been ranked No. 23 in the latest Associated Press Top 25. None of the players on the current roster were born the last time Illinois was ranked in the month of November (Nov. 27, 2000).

Illinois, which began the season ranked one spot out of the preseason poll, was one of eight Big Ten Conference programs in the rankings which were released Monday morning. South Carolina was the unanimous No. 1 team in the poll after a pair of victories to kick off its national championship repeat bid while Kansas State joined the top 10 and both Stanford and Oregon cracked the first regular-season rankings of the season.

Southern California leads all Big Ten programs in the rankings at No. 3 followed by UCLA at No. 5, Maryland at 11, Ohio State at No. 12, Nebraska at No. 21, Illinois at No. 23 and Oregon at No. 25. Iowa was the first team out of the poll this week while Michigan, Michigan State and Indiana, which fell out of the rankings lost its season-opening game to Harvard at Assembly Hall last week, received votes this week.

Leading by as many as 19, the Illini remained perfect on the season with the 12-point home victory over Marquette on Sunday night. After scoring only one point in the first half, Genesis Bryant poured in 15 points across the final 20 minutes and finished with 16 points while going 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. She also grabbed four rebounds and made one steal.

Illinois (2-0) takes on Eastern Illinois on Thursday night in the third of five contests during the team's season-opening five-game homestand. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network-Plus.