Illinois basketball news: Forward Toni Bilic officially joins the team

NEWS: Illinois basketball has officially shared that Croatian forward Toni Bilic has arrived in the United States and will be with the team. The official Illini basketball team social media pages posted a brief video of Toni announcing his arrival while at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Bilic is a long-term addition for the Illini. He plans to sit out the 2025-2026 season as he focuses on getting acclimated to the United States and overall strength.

When Toni Bilic officially signed with Illinois basketball, Brad Underwood shared the following statement:

“Toni is a multi-positional, skilled player who we are excited to have join us in practice,” Underwood said. “He comes from a basketball family; he has good feel for the game and a high IQ. He is a downhill, slasher-type player with a high motor. Toni will jump in right away with Coach Fletch in the weight room; he has a high ceiling and is ready to get to work.”

Bilic is a skilled wing who last played with KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb in Croatia. While playing there, he averaged 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 58% from the field in just more than eight minutes per contest