Why Illinois' Brad Underwood May Keep Starting Jake Davis Over Andrej Stojakovic

This past offseason, Illinois recognized it needed a go-to guy – a pure bucket-getter who could serve as the focal point of the offense and be a late-game closer. And Brad Underwood and his coaching staff found that in Andrej Stojakovic.

After battling a knee injury at the beginning of the season, Stojakovic, a Cal transfer, got the blood flowing in an early-season win, scoring nine points in his Illini debut against Florida Gulf Coast. Then came the breakout: 23 points on 11-for-16 shooting, three steals and two blocks in a win over Texas Tech. And Stojakovic did it off the bench.

He followed that up with a 26-point showing in yet another ranked-on-ranked matchup against Alabama. Clearly, Stojakovic was more than capable of being that guy for the Illini. But as the season has worn on, it has become abundantly clear that Illinois has a lot of those guys. Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell, David Mirkovic and Tomislav Ivisic all fit that mold in their own ways.

Is Andrej Stojakovic coming off the bench for the foreseeable future?

That’s why Underwood seems to be mulling the idea of an unexpected move: continuing to bring Stojakovic off the bench. After a high-ankle sprain held him out for two games, Stojakovic returned against USC and led Illinois in scoring with 22 points off the bench.

When he came back from his early-season knee injury, Stojakovic also came off the bench for two games, so it was hardly a surprise to see him active despite being out of the starting lineup.

But given that Stojakovic is Illinois’ second-leading scorer (14.0 points per game), there was zero expectation of him continuing to serve in a reserve role behind fellow wing Jake Davis, who has been in the first five since Stojakovic was sidelined.

“Jake’s playing great. I kind of like the chemistry that’s going with that group,” Underwood said after Illinois blasted USC 101-65 on Wednesday night. “And if we need to make a change, we will. If not, we’ll stay the same because this group is all bought in. [Andrej] comes off the bench tonight, our leading scorer, and has 22.”

On Friday, Underwood previewed UCLA, and also revisited the Stojakovic-off-the-bench conundrum – a decision for which he wouldn’t give a hard answer.

“You’re always looking for the right combination. And all of those guys are going to play similar minutes. It just gives us a nice mix. I like the combination of Jake’s shooting and gravity. Then you bring [Andrej] off the bench and Ben [Humrichous] and [Zvonimir Ivisic], and you’ve got a lot of size. You got a driver, you got a shooter, you’ve got potential size at the rim – a lob threat. So, something we just felt comfortable with.

“I’m not saying it’s going to be a permanent thing,” Underwood said of bringing Stojakovic off the bench. “I think it’s one thing that, again, the combinations, the matchups fit. And from the driver, shooter, defender – I always like bringing impact off the bench. We’ve had a lot of Sixth Man of the Year Award-type guys. I think that’s something I value greatly.”

“I’ve never got overly concerned about who starts. It’s just got to be the right fit and the pieces got to play well together. And Jake’s been sensational and he’s earned the opportunity. And he’s a great fit. He showed that the other night going 4-for-4 from three, and [he] creates a lot of gravity for a lot of other players.”

Does it make sense to start Jake Davis over Andrej Stojakovic?

Given the make up of this loaded Illinois club, Underwood finds himself stuck picking the better of two fantastic options. Stojakovic is undoubtedly a higher-volume scorer than Davis, but he provides a far different, more dynamic look.

Stojakovic (25.8 percent from long range) and Boswell (29.9 percent from deep) are Illinois' only rotational players shooting below 30 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Davis shoots a scorching-hot 41.6 percent and has a lightning-quick release that forces opponents to chase him around the arc, creating driving lanes for the rest of the Illini.

Also, there’s only one basketball. Davis provides exceptional value without the rock in his hands on offense, while Stojakovic’s skill set makes it difficult for him to have that same ability.

Defensively, though, it’s a different tale. Davis has been surprisingly sound, but Stojakovic is still a more versatile and valuable defender. He can guard a variety of players – and quite effectively. The perimeter duo of Stojakovic and Boswell on defense has opposing backcourts constantly searching for answers.

Then again, as Underwood said, it doesn’t truly matter who starts. Stojakovic will almost certainly continue to play more minutes than Davis. Each player offers value in a unique way, and Underwood has proven fairly effective in deciding when to push the right buttons in terms of his lineup. Regardless of who is earning the starting nod on a given night, both Stojakovic and Davis will very likely remain in the same role as they each have held all season.