Andrej Stojakovic Announces Return to Illinois

All things considered, Brad Underwood couldn't have expected anything more.

Underwood knew his Illinois roster would need some remodeling after this past season's Final Four run, with Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous and AJ Redd all out of eligibility, and with the Keaton Wagler mahic carpet ride flying out of Champaign to some faraway NBA city. What he certainly hoped for was something less than a tear-it-down-to-the-studs rebuild.

On Friday, Underwood was assured that the last wing of the project that had remained unaccounted was finally a wrap: Andrej Stojakovic announced he would be returning to the Illini for his senior season in 2026-27.

Per source pic.twitter.com/smeKwDbb2T
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) April 17, 2026

Why Andrej Stojakovic's return was so critical for Illinois

As difficult as it is to calculate Stojakovic's impact for the Illini last season, it's even harder to put into words what he means to Illinois' retention efforts and next season's outlook. On the one hand, Stojakovic was the program's prized transfer, the son of an NBA All-Star and finished 2025-26 as the Illini's second-leading scorer.

Then again, he didn't start in a single game after mid-February, shot blanks from three-point range most of the season (Stojakovic missed 13 of his last 16 tries from three) and pulled strange, occasional disappearing acts (such as his scoreless game in the regular-season loss to Michigan).

So with forwards David Mirkovic and Jake Davis and bigs Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic already having committed to running it back next season, was Stojakovic's return really that big of a deal for the Illini?

Um, that's a hard yes. Not only is Stojakovic most likely to lead the Illini in scoring in 2026-27 – he can be counted on to initiate offense, take advantage of the driving lanes Illinois' spacing provides and often make something out of nothing on the drive – but he will be motivated by an NBA future to improve his perimeter stroke over the summer. Even if he falls short in that regard, Stojakovic's fit with his teammates and the leadership and steady resolve he demonstrated through injuries and inconsistencies are the foundation that championship teams get built on.

What the Illini can expect from Stojakovic in 2026-27

With Boswell moving on, Stojakovic becomes even more important to Illinois' fortunes in a variety of ways. Underwood has a lot of options for filling the open minutes Boswell leaves behind, and Stojakovic almost certainly will soak up a portion of them. Whether Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks fulfills expectations, Brandon Lee takes a step forward or incoming freshman Lucas Morillo or Quentin Coleman emerge right away, Stojakovic – with the gift of good health – is practically guaranteed to play more than the 26.2 minutes he averaged last season. (For context, he averaged 33.4 as a sophomore at Cal.)

Surrounded by three-point shooters, Stojakovic seemed to figure out late in the season how and when to best take advantage of defenses stretched to the breaking point. (Over that same 10-game closing stretch in which he shot 3-for-16 on threes, he shot a bonkers 56.5 percent on twos and averaged 5.0 free-throw attempts.) Even if his long-distance marksmanship doesn't improve next season, he will be one of the college game's most dangerous and productive threats on the drive.

Additionally, Stojakovic – who arguably was Illinois' best, most flexible and most consistent perimeter defender last season – will need to be every bit as effective on that end in 2026-27, and perhaps more so. Vaaks is a weak link on D, and he and Davis may be virtually unplayable together, especially depending on who shares the floor with them at point guard.

Oh, and about that: Stojakovic may be called upon in that role as well. Underwood can't expect to catch Wagler-like lightning in a bottle again with Morillo or Coleman, and if Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell doesn't ultimately choose Illinois, Stojakovic may be the next man up – or at least one of several – at lead guard. Even if he isn't ideally suited to the task, it's one more area where the Illini may desperately need him – but can now rest a little easier after Stojakovic decided he's staying put.

Add us as a preferred source on Google