Where Illinois Ranks in Jon Rothstein's Top 45 After Stefan Vaaks Commitment

The Illini were already expected to be one of the best teams in the country, but Vaaks' pledge only elevates their status

Nov 14, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood greets the crowd before the tip of the game with the Colgate Raiders at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Entering the 2026 offseason, Illinois appeared poised to pull off the best roster retention of the Brad Underwood era. And through nearly a full week, that sentiment has mostly held true. Although the Illini lost guard Mihailo Petrovic and forward Toni Bilic to the portal, neither were expected to be large contributors in the 2026-27 season. 

Although the NBA Draft could potentially poach an Illinois player or two (Keaton Wagler has already declared), the Illini very well may return the large portion of a 2025-26 core that went to the Final Four. 

Yet depending on how the upcoming week and change shakes out, it may turn out that Illinois' transfer portal additions prove to be even more impressive than its retention. On Sunday, the Illini landed highly coveted transfer Stefan Vaaks, an uber-skilled combo guard who can shoot the cover off the ball. And it’s very possible the Illini aren’t done in the portal. 

But for now, even if Illinois doesn’t make any more noise in the portal, the combination of Vaaks and the expected returnees appears to be more than enough to contend – at least in the eyes of CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein. 

Where does Illinois land in Jon Rothstein’s preseason top 45? 

Today's edition of the ROTHSTEIN 45 is LIVE.

TOP 10:

1. Michigan
2. Florida
3. Illinois
4. Michigan State
5. Duke
6. Virginia
7. Arizona
8. UConn
9. Texas
10. Alabama

CC: @FDSportsbook,@FanDuelResearch.https://t.co/Qek0R1gFWh

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 13, 2026

Rothstein projects the Illini starting lineup to consist of Vaaks, Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic. With that crew, plus a bench unit headlined by Jake Davis and Ty Rodgers, Illinois is tabbed by Rothstein as the No. 3 team in his top 45, landing behind only Michigan (No. 1) and Florida (No. 2).

Is it a fair assessment?

Mar 12, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Providence Friars guard Stefan Vaaks (7) controls the ball against St. John's Red Storm guard Dylan Darling (0) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Without a bona fide lead guard (although some believe Vaaks may fill that role), the Illini may be missing the key ingredient to push them to the preseason mountaintop. But the consolation prize of No. 3 isn’t half-bad. And depending on the NBA Draft decisions of Michigan and Florida players, Illinois may vault ahead of both of those clubs even without another transfer find. 

Regardless, if Illinois manages to bring Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell into the mix, any preseason rankings that didn't list the Illini at No. 1 would frankly look a bit foolish. But the 2026 national title game happened just one week ago, meaning there remains a lot of time for more movement in the coming months.

And, again, the Illini have three players – Stojakovic and the Ivisic twins – who are in the NBA Draft discussion and may still elect to go that route. All of the chips have yet to fall.