Illinois Commit Mihailo Petrovic Still Missing From Roster: What It Means

Petrovic, a gifted Serbian point guard, has yet to be officially added to the Illini roster. Here's what it means.

Mar 23, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts during the first half in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against the Kentucky Wildcats at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

A quick scroll through Illinois basketball’s official 2025-26 roster reveals every returning Illini before reaching the new additions – a category in which Serbian point guard Mihailo Petrovic should fall. Yet, for now, his name is nowhere to be found.

Illinois, which brought in Tomislav Ivisic (Croatia) and Kasparas Jakucionis (Lithuania) last year, knows full well the difficulties of international recruiting. Not only does a team have to land a prospect, but then it must jump through hoops to ensure the player is eligible to step on American soil, enroll at the academic institution and then actually suit up for the team. (Remember the Ivisic debacle that stretched into late October last year?) Still, having been there and done that offers some comfort:

“I feel like we’re in a good place,” said coach Brad Underwood in mid-June. “Again, just step by step, and all these things take time, and we’ll deal with it accordingly.” 

With Illinois having yet to announce the signing of Petrovic, the program isn’t at liberty to speak publicly about him. But, for what it's worth, Petrovic's overseas club – Mega Superbet – took to X in early June to post a farewell to Petrovic and announce his new destination: Illinois.

𝙊𝙁𝙁𝙄𝘾𝙄𝘼𝙇: Mihailo Petrovic leaves Mega Superbet 👋🏻

Mihailo Petrović continues his career in @IlliniMBB 🔥

Thank you Mixa 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/7aJXGsjZI9

— KK Mega (@KKMegaBasket) June 12, 2025

The key takeaway is this: There is no reason to believe Petrovic won't be wearing orange and blue in Champaign come November. But without their projected lead guard on campus for the time being, the Illini will be a touch behind the competition. Running through plays, understanding how to play off one another on the court and meshing personalities off it during the summer can be a difference-maker for a college program with huge aspirations – but it isn’t the end-all-be-all.

But Illinois will likely have to play a bit of catch-up at the tail end of summer and early fall – a task the Illini at least have become plenty familiar with.

More From Illinois on Sports Illustrated:

Why Former Illini Kasparas Jakucionis Will Thrive With the Miami Heat

ESPN Expects a Trio of Illini to Hear Their Names Called in the 2026 NBA Draft

Former Illini Dain Dainja With Strong Showing for Miami Heat in NBA Summer League