Illinois Is 'Top Contender' for High-Scoring Wing Transfer, Son of NBA Great

The Illini are the team to beat in the battle for Andrej Stojakovic, who averaged 17.9 points last season as a sophomore at Cal

Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; California Golden Bears guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) grabs a rebound in the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Fortunately for Illinois and coach Brad Underwood, there are no strikeouts in the transfer portal – or the entire lineup would have gone down swinging.

After falling short on Josh Dix (Creighton), Jaylin Sellers (Providence) and Brendan Hausen (Iowa), among others, the Illini are in desperate need of a home run, and according to Joe Tipton of On3 Sports, Underwood and his staff appear well-positioned to knock one out of the park (last baseball analogy, we promise) in the coming days.

Tipton reported that “multiple sources” consider the Illini to be the current “top contender” in the recruitment of Cal guard Andrej Stojakovic.

Stojakovic, the son of NBA great Peja Stojakovic, just turned in an excellent sophomore campaign, averaging 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists while connecting on 1.4 threes per game.

Although he shot only 31.8 percent from deep last season, Stojakovic has smooth mechanics, a stellar free-throw percentage (81.8 percent) and outstanding genetics (Peja shot 40.1 percent from three over a 13-year NBA career), which may point to the possibility of future long-distance efficiency for Andrej.

A former McDonald’s All-American, the younger Stojakovic was a highly regarded recruit out of high school, initially landing at Stanford, where he put together a solid freshman season (7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds).

After transferring to Cal and engineering a massive jump in production as a sophomore, Stojakovic has entered the portal once more – this time with a “Do not contact tag” – which is an encouraging sign for Underwood and his staff as Illinois is viewed as the team to beat.

Yet the Illini still must close the deal. They have a glaring need for a wing who can fill it up while serving as the fulcrum of the offense – a mold Stojakovic fits to a T.

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