Stop everything.

llinois is ranked No. 5 in the first men’s basketball polls of the season.

Cut the polls out of the paper. Then THROW THEM OUT.

The preseason polls are useless. Missouri started last year ranked fifth – talk about overrated. Sure it is nice to have the Lindy’s Magazine rank Illinois No. 1, but that doesn’t put a national title trophy in Bruce Weber’s office.

Preseason polls don’t tell us anything we don’t already know, except that one AP writer is still living in the 2003-04 season. Kentucky received a first-place vote. By the way, the Wildcats started last year at No. 11 before being the top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Once CBS finished playing “One Shining Moment,” Illinois was a favorite to win the 2005 NCAA Tournament. So were Kansas, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and half a dozen other teams. The polls don’t change the fact that Illinois still expects a national title this year.

“There is a mixture of teams that could win it,” said Illinois head coach Bruce Weber. “We’re in that mix, but there is still a long way to go and a lot of questions to answer to see who really develops into a team.”

Kansas needs to find a perimeter game. Wake Forest needs to play defense. Georgia Tech must replace Marvin Lewis. North Carolina’s loaded roster must live up to its potential. Defending champion Connecticut needs to replace two lottery picks.

Sounds good for Illinois, doesn’t it? But Illinois must improve its post play. Well, I guess everyone has to face something this year. Can you say parity?

“I think we are a long way from (No. 1),” said Illinois junior guard Deron Williams. “We haven’t played any games. It’s preseason. That is why they are called preseason rankings.”

Good thing the college basketball season begins today with the Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament. We can finally find out who is number one.

What? The biggest game of the day is No. 6 Syracuse hosting the power that is Northern Colorado.

Talk about a great way to kick off the basketball season.

But the rest of November and December will be better. Unlike college football, men’s basketball teams schedule quality opponents for their non-conference games.

Take Illinois. It plays No. 25 Gonzaga on Nov. 27 and No. 2 Wake Forest on Dec. 1. That is the toughest schedule in the first few weeks in the country.

If the Illini win both games, they will be the first team in the country to have a legitimate claim at being number one. What will Kansas counter with at that point – beating St. Joseph’s without Jameer Nelson?

Bill Self can do a lot of things. He can sign players who aren’t even considering Kansas. Right Julian Wright? But Self can’t smooth talk his way into saying St. Joseph’s is as tough of a game as Wake Forest. Even though he may try.

So come back in one month and look at the polls to see what really is happening in college basketball.

By then, order will be restored -probably with No. 11 Duke at No. 1.

Bobby La Gesse is a senior in communications. He can be reached at [email protected].