Two Illinois Stars Projected in ESPN's Latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft

Nowadays, coaching staffs must be adaptable and flexible in their roster builds. With the transfer portal constantly poaching players, it’s nearly impossible to have a true grasp on how a team’s roster is going to shake out a year later.

It’s not even a guarantee that all three of Illinois’ 2026 signees will be in Champaign next year (requesting a release from a letter of intent is practically commonplace at this point) – although it’s likely they will be.

Aside from that trio of Ethan Brown, Landon Davis and Lucas Morillo, though, who will definitely be on the Illinois roster a year from now? There isn't a player you can point to with even 90 percent certainty – and that’s almost entirely because of the transfer portal.

4⭐️ 6’6” SG Lucas Morillo 🇩🇴 (C/O 2026)
Was unstoppable today for the Dominican Republic vs Jordan (FIBA U19 World Cup)

26 Points (Tournament High)
10/17 FG | 1/3 3PT | 5/5 FT
12 Rebounds
2 Assists

He holds offers from UCLA, Marquette, High Point, East Carolina + 3 more pic.twitter.com/HkoaLICz69
— Hoops HQ (@hhqsports) June 28, 2025

Unfortunately for Illinois, a recent drawback of Brad Underwood turning the program into a top-tier player development system is that the Illini have been forced to confront another exit route: the NBA.

Last year, they lost two players – Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley – to the pros, and this year, per ESPN’s latest mock draft, they may lose two more.

ESPN projects Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic and Andrej Stojakovic draft slots

Tomislav Ivisic: No. 43

A sweet-shooting big man with a passion for dropping dimes, Tomislav Ivisic brings immense value on offense. Something close to a prototypical modern-day big, Ivisic has the combination of size (7-foot-1), touch around the rim, ability to stretch defenses and all-around feel that make him quite the intriguing prospect at the next level.

Tomislav Ivisic, Illinois 7-1 C, 22 y/o
-PnR screener specialist: 30 3PTM on pops, 77% on rolls
-36% on 154 3PTA. Shoots easy ball at 7-1
-Effective mix of strength, footwork touch for low post
-Awesome passer, IQ/quick processing evident
-Translation questions around… pic.twitter.com/aokiYJ8J2e
— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) October 3, 2025

The next step for Ivisic – who is already a quality defender – is to improve his foot speed and lateral ability to at least hold his own against guards in the pick-and-roll. We’ve seen teams continuously seek him out in ball-screen action in college, and until he makes strides in that area, he’ll stick around in the latter half of mock drafts.

Andrej Stojakovic: No. 49

An instinctive scorer who is a drastically different player than was his three-time All Star father, Peja Stojakovic (one of the greatest shooters of all time), Andrej Stojakovic is one of the best downhill drivers in college basketball.

His athleticism, length and solid frame (215 pounds) all speak to legitimate upside in the league, and the likelihood of his rim-attacking to translate. And if Stojakovic keeps up his finishing efficiency (64.8 percent on two-pointers), he will continue to inch up draft boards.

Illinois transfer Andrej Stojakovic against No. 11 Alabama:

26 PTS | 11-16 FG | 2-3 3PT | 3 REB pic.twitter.com/ZOihobvoo2
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) November 20, 2025

The key, though, remains convincing scouts that his jumper is more than a supplemental part of his game. Thus far, Stojakovic hasn’t accomplished that, shooting just 28.6 percent from deep. His hesitation and lack of confidence when he gets an open look isn’t quelling any worries – nor is his 45.5 percent free-throw line accuracy.

But if he manages to at least creep into the low-to-mid 30s in three-point efficiency and get back on track from the charity stripe (he did shoot 81.8 percent from the line last year), then he will almost certainly climb into the first round of mock drafts – especially if he takes the other leaps his head coach is pushing for.