On Sunday, one of the preseason mileposts college basketball diehards have been anxiously awaiting finally arrived: Ken Pomeroy released his preseason rankings of all 365 Division I men's basketball teams.

KenPom is considered the gold standard of college basketball analytics.

Here's what the rankings say about the eight Division I men's college basketball teams in the St. Louis region in advance of opening day Nov. 3, listed in order of team's ranking:

1. Fighting Illini will be dominant

KenPom preseason rank: 6

Pomeroy's metrics are higher on the Illini than just about anyone else. With a No. 6 ranking, Illinois will challenge for a Big Ten title, finishing a game behind Purdue at 14-6 in conference play, per KenPom.

Others don't expect quite as much from Illinois. They're ranked

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