CBS Sports Ranks Oregon's Nate Bittle Over Illinois' Tomislav Ivisic: A Fair Evaluation?

Below, Illinois on SI offers our own comp of the star Big Ten big men to determine who is "better" – or if there's even a clear choice

Jan 2, 2025; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) goes to the bench during the second half against the Oregon Ducks at Matthew Knight Arena. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter identified the best "true centers" in the country, and the top two on the list feature in the Big Ten – including Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic, who Trotter ranks at No. 2 in the category.

Checking in at first in Trotter’s rankings was Oregon’s Nate Bittle, a 7-foot center entering his fifth season of college basketball (after he missed the majority of 2023-24 because of an injury). Both Ivisic and Bittle are tremendously skilled players and, in many aspects, quite similar. For this exercise, we’ll compare each players’ game in specific categories before deciding whether or not we agree with Trotter’s order.

Defense and rebounding

Ivisic

An excellent defender based on both raw numbers (1.2 blocks and 0.6 steals) and advanced statistics (4.5 defensive box plus/minus), Ivisic is extremely effective here – specifically in the paint. In post-up situations, he anticipates well, is physical and takes full advantage of his length to send back shots. His hoops IQ shines when he rotates as a help-side defender to deter shots – an attribute that is also aided by that aforementioned size and length.

As a rebounder, Ivisic uses that anticipation to find and track the ball coming off the rim, he blocks out well, and he high-points the ball. Essentially, Ivisic does all a coach could want from a rebounding perspective.

THREE BALL ✅
BLOCK ✅@IlliniMBB's Tomislav Ivisic can do it all 😤#B1GMBBall on Peacock 💻 pic.twitter.com/6CnyxrsuqR

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 15, 2025

Bittle

In every way that Ivisic makes his mark as a defender, Bittle does the same – and then some. More agile and vertically athletic than Ivisic, Bittle can get to more shots as a help defender – hence his 2.1 blocks per game – and is an all-around more versatile defender. Although the Ducks never want to see Bittle switched on to a guard, when it happens, he’s nimble enough to frequently survive (whereas Ivisic is a blow-by waiting to happen).

Bittle’s 240-pound frame isn’t quite as thick as Ivisic’s 255 pounds, but he’s at least as effective in wall-up situations – and arguably even more so. Also great on the glass, Bittle makes up with pure effort anything he gives away in technique (which arguaby isn't quite on par with Ivisic’s).

Nate Bittle said 🚫❗ @OregonMBB#B1GMBBT on BTN 📺 pic.twitter.com/mtrkIjJXvO

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 13, 2025

Illinois on SI verdict: Bittle

Click here for our top five Big Ten returners (spoiler alert: Bittle and Ivisic are featured)

Shooting

Mar 23, 2025; Seattle, WA, USA; Oregon Ducks center Nate Bittle (32) attempts a 3-point shot against Arizona Wildcats forward Henri Veesaar (13) in the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Ivisic

As Trotter pointed out, Ivisic made the most three-pointers last season (55) among all returning 7-footers. With a buttery-smooth stroke, Ivisic can knock it down from deep or midrange, and he is quite efficient for the position (35.7 percent on threes). His ability to stretch out defenses and pull his defender out of the paint proved paramount for the Illini last year, and will be of equal importance in 2025-26.

Tomislav Ivisic gets thing rolling for @IlliniMBB with a quick triple 👏#B1GMBBT on BTN 📺 pic.twitter.com/nilgtobChT

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) March 13, 2025

Bittle

Bittle can knocks down a decent number of threes (1.0 per game) at a decent clip (33.6 percent), but he’s not a “shooter." Ivisic is a “hard close” on opposing scouting reports, whereas Bittle is a “mid-to-soft” close. At the very least, Bittle forces his defender to respect his jumper, but he isn't the sort of sniper who opponents prioritize running off the line.

Illinois on SI verdict: Ivisic

Passing 

Ivisic

The European influence is heavy on Ivisic, both in terms of shooting and passing. A big man through which an offense can be run (which Illinois exploits at times), Ivisic is an exceptionally skilled passer – only somewhat evident in his numbers (2.3 assists per outing). With his length and vision in the high post, he’s great at using angles to hit back-cutting teammates (Will Riley was his favorite option last year), and he excels at kicking to spot-up shooters. Ivisic will make the often overlooked extra pass without a moment of hesitation.

Bittle

Oregon rarely runs its offense directly through Bittle, except for when coach Dana Altman posts up his big man. In those situations, Bittle is an impressive passer: cross-court dimes to shooters on the wings and corners, hitting the 45 cutter, finding anyone who pops open – he does it all. If there’s an ounce of space, Bittle will find you. Ivisic's versatility and full-court game just bring a tad more value.

Illinois on SI verdict: Ivisic

Back-to-the-basket and interior scoring

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) controls the ball against Kentucky Wildcats center Amari Williams (22) during the second half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Ivisic

As we previously touched on, Ivisic doesn’t have the lightest feet on defense, yet he’s more nimble when he's dictating the action on offense, and his footwork is impeccable. Crafty, with soft touch, Ivisic is excellent as a post-up player, has a wide variety of moves at his disposal and can finish with either hand. He still hasn’t tapped out his potential in the paint, as his value primarily comes from a few clean-up buckets and when the Illini go to him (a little too rarely) in the post.

Bittle

Bittle’s bag isn’t as deep as Ivisic’s in post-up situations, but he’s equally effective with his primary moves. And his dominant ability from the dunker spot is hard to quantify. From the outside looking in, the dunker spot is a fairly straightforward role: when a teammate draws help, catch the drop-off pass and convert at the rim. But understanding how and when to adjust (positioning opposite the direction the driver is moving), playing with ready hands and then using a combination of athleticism, strength and touch to consistently finish are all integral to the process. Few are better there than Bittle.

A B1G dunk from Nate Bittle 😤#B1GMBBall x @OregonMBB pic.twitter.com/8KpizwcGNI

— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 17, 2025

Illinois on SI verdict: Bittle

OK, for those counting at home, the score is 2-2. So we didn’t create much separation – not to mention the fact that a player’s impact can hardly be whittled down to "winning" a handful of categories. Still, there's a clear message here: Bittle and Ivisic are the top two centers in the Big Ten. (Don't get shaken up: We’re counting Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn and Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg as forwards).

And whichever of the two ultimately delivers the better season in 2025-26 may determine which of their squads goes further in the Big Ten race – and beyond. Fair enough.