Illinois Basketball Countdown to Tipoff: Three Thoughts Before 2025-26 Opener

We’re officially in the thick of fall. It’s the spookiest day of the year, but most importantly, college basketball is just three sleeps away. With that in mind, we offer three thoughts ahead of Illinois’ season opener against Jackson State this coming Monday (7:30 p.m. CT, BTN).

Three thoughts ahead of Illinois’ 2025-2026 season

Tomislav Ivisic has Big Ten Player of the Year potential

Even with Ayo Dosunmu, Kofi Cockburn and Terrence Shannon Jr. representing Illinois on the hardwood in recent years, the program has yet to have a Big Ten Player of the Year winner since Dee Brown in 2005. Tomislav Ivisic could change that this year. We’re not going so far as to make that call – Purdue's Braden Smith is going to be tough to beat – but Ivisic has the potential.

Given that Ivisic wasn’t even one of the 10 players listed on the preseason all-conference team, that may come off as a bold statement to some, but it’s far from a hot take. Ivisic averaged 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks a season ago, while finishing fourth in the conference in overall box plus/minus (second among returning players).

Meanwhile, at the time, he was a first-year player who battled injuries and illness during stretches of the season. Between a season of experience, a full year working in a college-level strength and conditioning program – which, according to the word on the street, has transformed Ivisic this offseason – and a clean bill of health, he could potentially be the best player in the conference.

This Illini squad has a higher ceiling than any team since 2005

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) reacts after losing to the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

This one may be a bit more controversial. Realistically, though, that 2023-2024 Elite Eight squad never stood a chance against UConn – as we learned firsthand – and also lost to Purdue (the national title runner-up) twice during the regular season. As for the Illini’s 2020-21 club, which fell against Loyola in the Round of 32, it did have legitimate national title potential. But this year’s team could (there's that word again) be even better.

The talent is there – in spades. Even defensively, which will be coach Brad Underwood's key concern (more on that later), the Illini have weapons. Ivisic, as previously mentioned, is an elite defender, as is Kylan Boswell on the perimeter. Andrej Stojakovic has the tools to be phenomenal on that end, and Tomislav's 7-foot-2 twin brother Zvonimir Ivisic will be a weak-side shot-blocking menace. If Illinois puts it all together on both sides of the floor, the sky truly is the limit.

The Illini will score – but can they defend?

The question that can't be answered until we see Illinois in (official) action: Can the Illini get stops? When Underwood first arrived to Champaign, defense was what the program hung its hat on. His teams were characterized by two things: defense and rebounding.

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

But in the past few years, Underwood has switched his style to a more offense-focused approach. Illinois has embraced a run-and-gun, high-paced scheme, but its defense has suffered somewhat in the exchange. Opponents – as we saw many times last season – can put up points in a hurry. When the Illini are having an off night, their style makes them more prone to an upset – hardly a recipe for success in March.

Fortunately, Illinois brought in a new assistant coach in Camryn Crocker in the offseason, and his primary role is to serve as defensive coordinator. If Crocker, along with Underwood and the rest of the staff, can get this Illini squad on the same page defensively, that aforementioned ceiling suddenly isn't so far out of reach.