What he’s done has worked for the most part in Champaign and there hasn’t been an exact science to it. Over the last half decade, the Illini have won in a myriad of ways, with talented backcourts, impressive bigs, and while landing both top-rated freshmen and intriguing names from the transfer portal.
Both of those avenues played a role in last season’s success, as Illinois had a sixth straight 20-win season and secured a fifth-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Fighting Illini underwhelmed at times, finishing just 7th in the Big Ten standings but still managed to win a game in the Big Dance before falling against Kentucky in the second round.
The Fighting Illini leaned heavily on star freshmen Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley last season and won’t have either of their services this year. A few key pieces also came from the transfer portal, but the cruelty of the portal is a two-way street and you won’t see Morez Johnson or Tre White wearing orange and blue this season either. Fortunately, Underwood and his staff have gone in another new direction.
We’ll dive deep into a rotation that simmers with international talent and surmise whether the pieces in place can come together and create another successful season in Champaign. There will be a quick peek at the schedule and considering just what the rotation looks like in the year ahead. We don’t know exactly what to expect from a team replacing some impressive talent, but Illinois certainly didn’t sit on their hands in the offseason.
Projected Starters
Guard – Mihailo Petrovic (Freshman)
The international flair on this roster becomes evident quickly, as the Fighting Illini landed Petrovic in the offseason for a major role in the backcourt. A 6-3 point guard out of Serbia, he’s done sensational work at the pro level in the Balkans. He’s a speedy, athletic weapon with solid shooting ability and an incredible ability to drive to the basket and make defenses sweat.
Guard – Kylan Boswell (Senior)
Quite possibly the most important returning player from last season, Boswell brings stability and experience to a backcourt filled with new faces. After two very solid years at Arizona, he joined the Fighting Illini last season and put up 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists, assuming a major role beside Jakucionis in the backcourt. More of the onus falls on him to produce this season, especially after his long-range shooting took a step back as a junior.
Guard – Andrej Stojakovic (Junior)
Once a Top 25 prospect, Stojakovic spent a year apiece in his home state, first playing for Stanford before transferring to rival California as a sophomore. That year with the Golden Bears was quite productive, averaging 17.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Stojakovic really stood out at season’s end, especially in the ACC Tournament, and should become a major playmaker who can also block shots for Illinois.
Forward – Ben Humrichous (Senior)
Humrichous came to Illinois last offseason after great work with Evansville, and while he didn’t match that level of production was still a solid piece for the Fighting Illini. Humrichous averaged 7.6 points and 3.8 rebounds mostly in a starting role for Illinois and should continue making a mark in this frontcourt. He’ll hope to get back to the great shooting he did with Evansville while also providing another veteran presence in this lineup.
Center – Tomislav Ivisic (Junior)
Another major addition last offseason, Ivisic is also another European talent who has really shined at the college level already. A 7-1 center from Croatia, he put up 13.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as Illinois’s starting center last season. Ivisic has additional experience under his belt, made decent strides as a step-back shooter outside the arc, and will be a very important piece to whatever success comes this season for this program.
Key Reserves
Forward – David Mirkovic (Freshman)
Mirkovic is another great find from the Balkans and is a 6-9 power forward out of Serbia. He’s a versatile offensive player who can make outside shots and doesn’t just get bogged down inside the paint. He has the build to grow into a phenomenal frontcourt weapon and has been well-regarded at the international level before finding his way to Champaign this offseason.
Guard – Brandon Lee (Freshman)
The lone Top 100 prospect from this freshman class, Lee is no pushover as a 6-3 shooting guard out of New Jersey. He put up very good numbers at the high school level playing with great talent and comes across as an impressive shooter who could work his way into a major role sooner rather than later for the Fighting Illini.
Forward – Jake Davis (Junior)
The numbers might not pop off the page, but Davis did the little things for the Fighting Illini last season and could be even more vital as a junior. A transfer from Mercer, Davis put up 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds as a reserve for Illinois last season, but it was all about the energy he brought on the court. With a full year in this system, could we see more minutes and even better production from him as an upperclassman?
Guard/Forward – Ty Rodgers (Junior)
When healthy Rodgers is a talent that could be in the starting lineup for the Fighting Illini but we just don’t know his condition. After putting up 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds as a starter in his sophomore season, Rodgers redshirted last season and has been out indefinitely in recent months with a knee injury. There’s no telling when he’ll be back on the court but he’s an important weapon to Underwood in this system when he’s on his game.
Guard – Keaton Wagler (Freshman)
While you weren’t going to find Wagler high up on the recruiting ranks, he’s a 6-6 shooting guard from Kansas still considered a 4-star athlete who might fit right into Underwood’s system. Wagler is lights out from outside the arc and becomes one of Illinois’s top shooters right from the jump while also having the size to make a difference on both ends of the court.
Center – Zvonimir Ivisic (Junior)
The twin brother of Illinois’s starting center, this Ivisic is a 7-2 forward also from Croatia who spent his first two collegiate years with John Calipari. A bench piece at Kentucky, Ivisic followed his coach to Arkansas and averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game for the Razorbacks. He had a run of monster production in February and while he’s a shade beneath his brother will be an incredible asset off the bench for Illinois.
Schedule Outlook
While this team won’t leave their home state until late November, that month doesn’t come without a few challenges. The Fighting Illini have an intriguing home date against Texas Tech on November 11th and will head to Chicago to take on Alabama just a week later. The big one to end the month is the SentinelOne Showdown against UConn at Madison Square Garden on Black Friday.
Illinois is back on the road on December 6, heading to Nashville for Music City Madness and a highly-anticipated matchup with Tennessee. They’ll get a brief taste of Big Ten play with games against Ohio State and Nebraska before the annual Braggin’ Rights Game against Missouri, this year occurring on December 22nd in St. Louis as usual. Big Ten conference play starts in earnest just over a week later, right after New Year’s.
With the size of the Big Ten, Illinois only sees three of their league rivals both home and away and this season that’ll be Maryland, Nebraska, and Northwestern. It’s not easy having their only matchups against Ohio State, Purdue, UCLA, and USC coming on the road, with that Los Angeles trip coming very late in the season. The final home game is an important matchup with Oregon before the regular season concludes at Maryland on March 8th, one week before Selection Sunday.
Season Outlook
Last season Illinois leaned heavily on that young talent and things just didn’t turn out as expected. Jakucionis and Riley were both brilliant players with bright futures ahead in the pros, but the vibe is a bit different in Champaign this season. Underwood and his staff continued to raid the international cupboard of prospects and got a boatload of notables as a result.
We’ll start by considering that Illinois now has a pair of 7-footers manning the 5 with the Ivisic twins, both of whom showed signs of brilliance last season. This means that Illinois will almost always have a massive paint presence that can score, rebound, and block shots as the anchor for their defense. Let’s not forget that Humrichous isn’t a slouch either and his return is a solid veteran presence for this group.
Center is far from the only position of note for an Illini team that might have gotten an absolute steal as their new point guard. We’re not sure just how Petrovic’s game will translate to the collegiate level but he’s a speed demon and an absolute menace whose presence means great things for this entire roster. Illinois still has Boswell who can and will run the point a lot this season, but this team won’t be lacking for options in the backcourt.
There are questions about if Stojakovic can sustain his numbers from California but he’s a brilliant wing when he’s on his game, though his long-range shooting figures still remain suspect. If Rodgers can get healthy, he’s another very important weapon who could provide invaluable minutes late in the year and knows Underwood’s system inside and out at this point.
Between international prospects and the transfer portal, Illinois added significant European flavor to this roster and are hoping that this is the combination that leads to another successful season. This program was just in the Elite Eight in 2024 before getting embarrassed by UConn and just might have the talent in this rotation to pull off another deep run. Boasting great size and experience, this team will be one to watch in the Big Ten.