Andrej Stojakovic to return to Illinois basketball for senior season

The news just dropped that Junior guard Andrej Stojakovic has announced that he will return to Illinois for his final season of college basketball. 

Stojakovic spent two years at Stanford and Cal before making the move to the Midwest for his junior campaign. He played a key role in helping Illinois reach its first Final Four in 21 years and will look to lead the Illini back again next season.

It was an up-and-down year for the Greek-born guard. However, Andrej stayed the course and provided significant value to the team. After suffering an ankle injury in February, Stojakovic transitioned to a bench role, but he is expected to return to the starting lineup next season. Over the course of the year, he developed into a reliable defender and a more efficient offensive scorer.

Head coach Brad Underwood challenged Stojakovic to elevate his defense, and he answered that call on multiple occasions. In the Elite Eight, Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz got off to a hot start. However, once Stojakovic switched onto him, his life was much more difficult.

What it means?

According to CBB Analytics, Stojakovic ranked in the 86th percentile in block percentage and the 91st percentile in blocks per game last season. Another offseason putting in work at Ubben could elevate him into one of the top defenders in the Big Ten.

The junior guard averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field last year. He played a major role in Illinois’ win over Iowa to reach the Final Four, scoring 17 points on 77.8% shooting. Stojakovic scored in double figures in three of the team’s five NCAA Tournament games and will look to build on that momentum in year two in Champaign.

Offensively, he was one of the most effective paint scorers in the country. Per CBB Analytics, he ranked in the 96th percentile in points in the paint per game and the 90th percentile in two-point percentage.

Stojakovic is poised for a breakout senior season if he can find consistency with his three-point shot. He shot a career-low 24.4% from beyond the arc and was largely a non-factor from deep. Improvement in that area could help him follow in his father’s footsteps and make the jump to the NBA after his final season in orange and blue.

Retention has been a major focus for Illinois in recent years. A Second-year leap from Stojakovic could mirror the jump we saw from Terrence Shannon Jr. in 2024.

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