Illinois Signs Another International Recruit

Of all the unexpected developments in an another white-knuckler of an Illinois basketball season, Monday's signing of Croatia's Toni Bilic was not on Illinois on SI's bingo card.

Not only had their been zero previous buzz about any interest in or a pursuit of Bilic on the part of Brad Underwood and the Illini, but also the 20-year-old forward will land in Champaign during the semester break and be eligible to hit the floor right away, according to Draft Express' Jonathan Givony.

NEWS: Croatian forward Toni Bilić has committed to Illinois, his agent Misko Ražnatović told DraftExpress. The 6'9", 20-year-old will arrive at semester break and be eligible to play immediately. pic.twitter.com/jJBtE0GV8z
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) December 15, 2025

Who is Toni Bilic?

Bilic is a 20-year-old forward from Trogir, Croatia, who is sometimes listed as a guard – and certainly has some of those tools. Over the past three-plus years (dating back to his age-16 season), Bilic has played for KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb at different levels of the Adriatic League (ABA). Facing A-1 Liga competition in 2024-25, he averaged 3.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 8.4 minutes across eight games.

Those are obviously limited numbers from a small sample size, and international statistics don't always project cleanly to the U.S. and NCAA competition. Bilic was a star for Croatia in the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship and a member of the Adidas NextGen EuroLeague club, so it seems there's a massive space between his immediate floor and ceiling in college hoops.

Toni Bilic scouting report

Let's get the concerns out of the way first: Bilic doesn't seem to be an explosive vertical or lateral athlete. His feet appear almost clunky at times, and he often plays off-balance around the rim. He has shot mechanics that only a mother could love. Some of these characteristics are issues he'll need to work on in Champaign. Some are merely aesthetic and may have little or no bearing on his college performance.

What's clear is that Bilic is at his best getting downhill and working in something close to a straight line at the basket. He has the handle to navigate dribble drives and good speed knifing toward the rim along the lane lines. He isn't a power player (Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher has a new project!), but he does know how to use his length to his advantage in a variety of ways – including as a passer. Bilic appears to have excellent vision, timing and can deliver on a dime.

How Toni Bilic fits with the Illini

There isn't a lot of good recent tape available to assess Bilic's full game, but it would be hard to imagine him walking into the State Farm Center in a few weeks loaded for bear and ready to take on Big Ten competition. He is a lean forward with a somewhat offbeat game who won't have the benefit of a get-to-know-you phase with his new teammates or a gradual acclimation period (say, from Jackson State to Purdue).

Keep in mind, in 2022-23 the Illini pulled off something similar with Zacharie Perrin, who wound up playing all of one game before departing the program. That doesn't have to be Bilic's fate, but again, this experiment seems to have a wide range of potential outcomes. Even if Illinois' current frontcourt players have delivered up-and-down production, they aren't likely to cede much (if any) ground to Bilic in terms of playing time and role in the near future.