Last Season: 28-9 (15-5 Big Ten)
Preseason KenPom Rank: 4 (1st in Big Ten)
Head Coach: Brad Underwood
Brad Underwood enters his 10th season in Champaign after guiding Illinois to its first Final Four since 2005. The Illini went 28-9 overall (15-5 Big Ten, tied for second) in 2025-26, finished No. 5 in the final AP poll, and reached the national semifinals before losing to UConn. It was the program’s best NCAA Tournament run under Underwood and included 28 wins (fourth-most in school history) and eight Big Ten road wins.
The roster retains significant frontcourt talent from the Final Four group while addressing the loss of lottery pick Keaton Wagler (drafted 5th overall), Kylan Boswell, and Ben Humrichous. Offensive efficiency was elite last year and this year should be no different.
Key Returners
- Andrej Stojakovic (senior, 6’7” G/F): Averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. Efficient scorer and secondary creator who made the NCAA Tournament All-South Region team. Expected to take on a larger role as a go-to wing.
- David Mirkovic (sophomore, 6’9” F): The focal point when healthy. As a freshman he averaged 13.3 points, a team-high 8.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while starting 36 of 37 games (All-Big Ten Freshman Team). He underwent foot surgery in early August after a late-July injury and has been progressing through rehab. No firm return timeline yet; Underwood has emphasized patience. His availability will heavily influence the early-season outlook.
- Tomislav Ivisic (junior, 7’1” C): Averaged 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds in a starting role. Stretch big who provides size and spacing. Can fall in love with the three at times.
- Zvonimir Ivisic (junior, 7’2” C): Averaged 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds with strong shot-blocking (around 1.9 blocks per game). His length gives Illinois one of the tallest frontcourts in the country.
- Jake Davis (senior, 6’6″ F): Valuable role player, smart decision-maker, doesn’t commit turnovers.
- Jason Jakstys (redshirt sophomore, 6’10” C), played sparingly and missed time with a blood clot last year.
Newcomers
Illinois landed a couple transfers and added a strong freshman class:
- Stefan Vaaks (sophomore, 6’7” G, Providence): Big addition. As a freshman at Providence he averaged 15.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.9 threes per game while shooting 35% from deep and earning Big East All-Freshman honors. Size, shot-making, and creation that should help replace Wagler/Boswell production. The defense is a clear issue for Vaaks.
- Quentin Coleman (freshman, 6’4″ G): Five-star prospect expected to compete for significant minutes right away in the backcourt. High-motor, crashes boards and can really heat up from deep. I’m really excited to watch him for the Illini.
- Quentin McCoy (junior, 6’1″ G): Transfers from Arizona State.
- Ethan Brown (freshman, 6’4″ G): Could see time as a backup, facilitator.
- Landon Davis (freshman, 6’9″ F): The freshmen big man from Iowa looks to be blocked in the rotation by the Ivisic brothers and David Mirkovic but the rumblings from the Illini Camp are that he’s been very impressive.
- Blake Fagbemi, Zavier Zens, Lincoln Williams and Lucas Morillo round out the Illini roster as depth pieces.
Big Ten Outlook
Illinois is the clear favorite in the Big Ten. They are on their own tier offensively and 2nd nationally in KenPom offensive efficiency (4th in overall KenPom). Michigan State is the top team in the second tier while the third tier is much more clumped together. UCLA, Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin and Maryland are all in the middle clump of Big Ten teams that could finish anywhere from 3rd to 13th and it wouldn’t surprise me.
Schedule Snapshot
The Illini open the season with Fairleigh Dickinson on November 2nd. Then they host Fran McCaffery and Penn in a rematch of their first round NCAA Tournament matchup from last season. Game 3 is a big road test at Texas Tech. Another very tough and very exciting away game comes on November 17th at Duke. December 4th brings a marquee matchup against UConn at the United Center in Chicago before they open Big Ten play at Minnesota on December 8th. The other early conference game is vs Penn State. The annual Braggin’ Rights Game is December 20th in St. Louis. The Illini will have a break in conference play on January 30th as the Illini take on North Carolina in Nashville. The Illinois-Michigan State matchup is set for Friday February 5th in Champaign. The Illini will face Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Purdue twice.
Outlook
Illinois returns the core of a Final Four frontcourt and adds perimeter shooting/creation with Vaaks and Coleman. When fully healthy, the size (Ivisics and Mirkovic), spacing, and offensive efficiency give Underwood one of the more talented rosters in the country. The biggest variables are Mirkovic’s recovery timeline, how quickly the new backcourt pieces mesh without Wagler’s creation and finally, the defense (especially against top tier offenses). A top-5 preseason ranking and Final Four pedigree bring championship aspirations for Illini Nation. KenPom has the Illini with a 25-7 projected record. Another deep March run is the clear expectation. Illinois has the tools to contend for the Big Ten title and return to the Final Four.