Illinois Basketball Checks in at No. 2 on Jon Rothstein’s Top 45

In the latest edition of Jon Rothstein’s “Rothstein 45” offseason rankings, Illinois basketball checked in at No. 2 nationally, trailing only Todd Golden’s Florida Gators.

Of course, the ranking one of the biggest offseason wins in college basketball, as Andrej Stojakovic withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft and announced his return to Champaign. That decision, combined with Brad Underwood’s extremely impressive roster retention, has the Illini entering the season in somewhat unfamiliar territory, as a legitimate preseason national title contender.

Today’s ROTHSTEIN 45 is LIVE.

TOP 10:

1. Florida
2. Illinois
3. Duke
4. Michigan
5. UConn
6. Arizona
7. Michigan State
8. Gonzaga
9. Virginia
10. St. John’s

CC: @FDSportsbook,@FanDuelResearch.https://t.co/Qek0R1gFWh

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 4, 2026

Rothstein notably projects Illinois’ starters to be Andrej Stojakovic, Jake Davis, David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, and Providence transfer sharpshooter Stefan Vaaks. Undoubtedly, it’s a veteran group loaded with the size, shooting ability, seasoned experience, and versatility needed to make a run at the title in 26-27’. However, what makes this ranking feel legitimate is just how much proven production coach Underwood’s crew is returning…. Stojakovic is back. Mirkovic is back. Davis is back. The Ivisic brothers (Tomislav and Zvonimir) are back…. A very cohesive unit, which helped lead Illinois to a Final Four run, remains largely intact, and that’s before factoring in key additions like Vaaks, who averaged 15.8 points and 3.2 assists per game as a true freshman (shooting 35% from deep – 91 made in 2025-26) in a talented Big East conference. 

For years, Illini fans spent many offseasons asking the same question…. Can Brad Underwood build Illinois Basketball into a program that can bring Champaign its first national title? That conversation looks different now, with Jon Rothstein and John Fanta, two of the most respected voices in college basketball, both putting Illinois near the top of their offseason rankings and viewing the Illini as a real national title contender entering 2026-27.

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