Andy Katz Gives Illinois' Tomislav Ivisic Lofty Ranking in CBB Internationals Top 10

Andy Katz, the former ESPN and current NCAA and Big Ten Network college basketball analyst, recently put together a list of his top 10 international players in the NCAA. Unsurprisingly, Illinois was well-represented on the list.

Somewhat less predictable was which Illini international secured the highest spot on Katz's top 10 – and just how he high he ranked. Center Tomislav Ivisic, who received no preseason All-Big Ten recognition and has ceded attention even around his own campus to a handful of teammates, was ranked No. 2 by Katz among all college basketball international players – just below Florida forward Alex Condon (Australia).

International sensations 💫@TheAndyKatz ranks the best international players in college basketball 🗺️ pic.twitter.com/AsGFI80le0
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) October 27, 2025

Is Tomislav's Ivisic ranking on Andy Katz's list accurate?

Yes, or very nearly so. That Ivisic wasn't acknowledged even in his own league as a player expected to rate among the Big Ten's elite performers this season is preposterous. After averaging 13.0 points and leading the Illini in rebounding (7.7), blocks (1.2) and three-point shooting (35.7 percent on 1.7 makes per game) – despite being held back by a late NCAA eligibility ruling, mono and a bum ankle at various points – Ivisic was the most indispensible player for last season's Illini.

Illinois went 1-4 in games Ivisic missed (and the Rutgers road game in which he played just 19 minutes after rolling the ankle). The Illini also dropped a stinker at home to USC in which Ivisic played a season-low 17 minutes. Coach Brad Underwood mentioned something about a "lack of focus," but another read of the situation saw Ivisic involved far too little by the offense's initiators. Illinois was always at its best a year ago when it ran things through Ivisic – a deft post scorer and an underrated distributor (2.3 assists per game).

Croatia's Ivisic has since added at least 15 pounds of muscle and improved his athleticism, and he should benefit from a full year of working with returners Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous and Jake Davis, as well as the transfer arrival of his twin brother Zvonimir Ivisic and Illinois' signing of David Mirkovic, a former teammate of the Ivisices with SC Derby in Montenegro.

More internationals with Illini ties on Katz's list

Also in Katz's top 10 were Duke freshman wing Dame Sarr (who seemed to be leaning toward committing to Illinois before Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic signed) at No. 5 and Zvonimir at No. 9. Do I think Ivisic is a top-10 international player in the Big Ten? Maybe. But if I take any issue with Katz's list it's that two more Illini probably should have been included over Big Z: Mirkovic and Mihailo Petrovic.

It's looking more likely that Montenegro's Mirkovic will start over Zvonimir at power forward, and he was not only exceptional in the Illini's 92-65 exhibition win over Illinois State but also appeared to fit right in with Condon and all that talent on the floor in Illinois' recent scrimmage against the defending national champion Gators. Meanwhile, Petrovic – a zippy point guard from Serbia who was given the green light by the NCAA on Monday – will probably play more minutes and a larger role than Zvonimir.

In any case, there is one fac that's beyond dispute: Illinois has the best collection of international players in college basketball – and likely the highest concentration of elite foreign talent on one NCAA team. There's a reason Underwood is leaning into his fast-growing reputation as a global recruiter: because it's working.

#Illini Brad Underwood loves international players -- and wants the pipeline continuing

Serbian big Aleksa Dimitrijevic visited tonight. Luigi Suigo visted in Feb., too.

"They're beyond their years and they're playing against pros at a very young age."

On why Illinois is a… pic.twitter.com/549w0LRofp
— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) February 26, 2025