Why Has Illinois' Andrej Stojakovic Struggled in Recent Games?

Stojakovic, who was the Illini's top scoring option for a stretch earlier this season, has largely vanished in the past few games. Here's why.

Dec 6, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) dunks the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Nothing better sums up the past few games for Illinois' Andrej Stojakovic than a second-half sequence in the win over Tennessee on Saturday. With the Illini holding a 13-point lead with less than a minute to go, the Volunteers tossed up a three, but Stojakovic got a piece of it.

Tomislav Ivisic quickly grabbed the dying quail and tossed the ball ahead to a leaking-out Stojakovic. With no one between the springy 6-foot-7 wing and the rim, Stojakovic slowed down and readied himself for a highlight-reel jam.

He leapt off two feet, cocked it back for a back-scratcher and brought it down for a thunderous dunk … that was rejected by the rim. Fortunately, the missed attempt led to a humorous viral moment between player and coach Brad Underwood – but it was also a reflection of Stojakovic's previous two games for the Illini.

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— Tajh (@JimmyTheGreek01) December 7, 2025

Where has Andrej Stojakovic gone for Illinois?

Nov 19, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood yells to his team during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

In games against UConn and Tennessee – Illinois’ two toughest defensive opponents of 2025-26 so far – Stojakovic has gone a combined 3-for-12 from the field and scored eight total points.

Additionally, he had just two rebounds and two assists. It's worth noting that he notched two steals and two blocks against the Volunteers, but aside from his solid defensive impact – which still wasn’t consistent across those two games – Stojakovic provided minimal production.

After pouring in 49 combined points on 22-for-32 shooting from the field against Texas Tech and Alabama, it was becoming increasingly obvious that Stojakovic was Illinois’ go-to offensive threat – especially down the stretch in high-stakes outings.

Sacramento native Andrej Stojaković had another impressive performance vs. a ranked opponent last night. Finished with 26 points on 11/16 shooting. Definitely a prospect to keep an eye on the next few months.

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— Cameron Salerno (@cameronsalerno1) November 20, 2025

But in the previous two games, he has largely disappeared. He remains hesitant from beyond the arc, only willing to pull if he’s wide open. Opponents have noticed. Both UConn and Tennessee closed out extremely soft on Stojakovic, who is at his best driving closeouts and attacking off the bounce. 

Given the extra cushion opponents have been giving themselves, that task of getting to the basket has become infinitely harder for Stojakovic. Ideally, he hits his threes, but even just taking a few more of them forces a defense to honor him as a perimeter threat.

To allow his downhill game to thrive, Stojakovic must be more confident and ready to shoot from long range. Also, to just get himself into a rhythm, Stojakovic needs to be more active as a cutter. Between his athleticism and uncanny finishing ability, Stojakovic should be a top-notch cutter and play finisher. But with his experience playing on the ball and attacking with the rock in his hands, he’s clearly never been comfortable in off-ball situations.

Time to get over that. Part of Stojakovic's desire to transfer to Illinois was to spur continued development, particularly on a team with other weapons. As a scorer, Stojakovic needs to find more ways to create offense (both on and off the ball) and actively find his rhythm. The spot-up threes and dives to the rim would be helpful, but he also should focus on getting himself to the charity stripe – and then actually converting (he's shooting an unacceptable 50.0 percent from the line on the season).

A year ago, Stojakovic attempted 5.7 free throws per game. This year, he’s shooting 1.8 per outing. Obviously, he is in a new, lower-volume role, but he needs to find creative ways to get himself going, because the Illini are going to need him as Big Ten play gets underway on Tuesday night against Ohio State.