Undefeated Nebraska Climbs in College Basketball Rankings Ahead of Illinois Matchup

Out of 365 Division I men's basketball teams, only two woke up Thursday morning with a 10-0 record. One is Duke, a program with 126 NCAA Tournament wins and five national championships. The other is Nebraska, the only power-conference school that has never won a single NCAA Tournament game.

Both are off to impressive starts this season, with Nebraska's latest outing being its most convincing. Nebraska defeated Wisconsin 90 to 60 in their Big Ten opener at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Rienk Mast delivered a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds in that game.

After missing all of last season with a knee injury, the 6-foot-10 forward is now averaging 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 28.4 minutes per game. Mast stated, 'We have a very mature group,' emphasizing their focus on upcoming challenges.

Nebraska will face a tough test when they visit Illinois on Saturday. Nebraska is currently ranked No. 18 in CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 rankings, while Illinois is ranked No. 16. Illinois remains undefeated inside Assembly Hall.

Nebraska has won 14 straight games dating back to last season, closing with four straight wins to claim the inaugural College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. Their current momentum could yield the highest NCAA Tournament seed in program history, aiming to improve on their 0-8 all-time record in NCAA Tournament games.

According to CBS Sports, Nebraska's rise in the rankings reflects their strong performance this season, setting the stage for this challenging matchup against Illinois.