Illinois Basketball Injury Updates and Availability Ahead of Alabama Tip-Off

Slowly, though maybe not so surely, the Illinois men’s basketball team is getting healthier. Wing Andre Stojakovic returned from a knee injury in time to deliver some clutch moments in the Illini's recent win over Texas Tech, and it seems that several more of Illinois' key contributors who have been dinged up are nearing healthy returns.

Hours before tip-off for Wednesday's matchup between No. 8 Illinois (4-0) and No. 11 Alabama (2-1) at the United Center in Chicago, the availability report for the game was revealed. Here’s what we know:

Illinois basketball injury updates and availability for Alabama

Tomislav Ivisic

Tomislav Ivisic was not listed on Wednesday's pregame availability report, which in theory means he will play against Alabama. But there’s a scenario in which he plays limited minutes or possibly never leaves the bench.

Ivisic has had a rough go of it with injuries and illness since he arrived in Champaign last season, and Underwood seems inclined to play it safe with player health so early in the season and having been hit by as many injuries as the Illini have.

If Ivisic gts loose and is moving well in pregame warm-ups, he will likely play 15-20 minutes against the Crimson Tide. But given his conditioning and penchant for foul trouble when not at his best, he likely will be used sparingly in a game that will be up and down and guard-driven.

The seventh trey of the night for the Illini!

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— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 4, 2025

Zvonimir Ivisic

Zvonimir Ivisic bumped and slightly aggravated an old knee injury, but he wasn’t included on the pregame availability availability report. Underwood never sounded terribly concerned about the injury, and the fact that Big Z wasn’t listed in the report seems to suggest he’s at, or at least near, 100 percent. Whether he continues to fill-in for his twin brother as the Illini's starting center remains to be seen, but he could see a slight dip in minutes given Tomislav's return and a matchup that will likely feature a lot of small lineups.

We aren't going to give up on a play.

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— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 15, 2025

Mihailo Petrovic

Will be Mihailo Petrovic make his Illinois debut against Bama? The time seems right Petrovic, a sophomore point guard in his first year of college basketball, is a speedster whose hamstring injury has mostly kept him off the floor and has prevented him entirely from playing in games for the Illini.
But because Alabama plays with pace and has quality depth, and because Illinois is young and still dealing with injuries at guard (see below), Underwood figures to finally gas up his new race car and take it out for a spin.

Like Tomislav Ivisic, conditioning could be an issue for Petrovic, who also has had limited and sporadic opportunities to build chemistry with his Illini teammates thus far – a legitimate concern for a point guard making his college debut against one of the top teams in the country. Expect Petrovic to play no more than about 15 minutes Wednesday.

Brandon Lee

Brandon Lee has been bogged down by an ankle sprain since making an excellent debut in Illinois' preseason exhibition win over Illinois State. He is listed as questionable on the availability report and could make a go of it against Bama, if only because he has already proven to be an advanced defender for his age, which could come in quite handy against Labaron Philon, Aden, Holloway and Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

But because Lee wasn’t given the all -clear on the availability report, it’s uncertain whether he’ll play more than a few minutes, if at all.