Illinois basketball nearing the finish line for major portal piece

After a tough start to the 2025 offseason, Illinois basketball is close to landing one of the top players available: Andrej Stojaković. He was heavily recruited by assistant coach Orlando Antigua while at Kentucky, so it didn’t take long for Stojaković to make a visit to Champaign. The visit is now complete, and momentum has been swinging in Illinois’ favor over the past few days.

If the Illini are able to land Stojakovic, they will immediately be catapulted to the top of the Big Ten as one of the older and experienced teams.

A recent crystal ball..

Joe Tipton of On3 placed a crystal ball prediction on Andrej, who committed to Illinois, sparking excitement among Illini fans. Brad Underwood and his staff have been patient in the portal, waiting for the right moment to make a splash, and this could be it. The son of former NBA star Peja Stojaković averaged 17.9 points per game at Cal last season. He would undoubtedly be a perfect fit for this Illinois squad. Stojaković would join four other talented European players on the roster: Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, David Mirkovic, and Mihailo Petrovic. 

NEW: On3’s @TiptonEdits has logged a prediction for Illinois to land Cal standout transfer Andrej Stojakovic

Intel: https://t.co/AfcQX2Dlhl pic.twitter.com/oz690RRXR8

— On3 (@On3sports) April 23, 2025

Andrej immediately solidifies the starting lineup for the Illini.. The former McDonald’s All-American would be the centerpiece of the offense and likely the primary scorer if he commits. The pieces are in place for Illinois to be one of the top teams in the Big Ten.  A dynamic scorer like Andrej is still the missing piece of the puzzle. Brad Underwood and his staff have proven once again that they can retool their roster under any circumstances.

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