Illinois basketball: Projected starting lineup for the 2025 season

The Illinois basketball roster seems to be set heading into the 2025-2026 season. This time, the Illini have blended continuity and exciting new talent to their roster and should vye for the top of the conference. However, the question rises as always as to what starting five this team rolls out in October.

The Locks:

G: Kylan Boswell

F: Andrej Stojakovic

C: Tomislav Ivisic

The three locks to be in the starting line-up are Boswell, Stojakovic, and Tomislav Ivisic. Boswell started all but one game for the Illini last season and comes in as the leader of the ship at the guard position. Tomislav Ivisic became the focal point of the Illini offense and will need to take a step in year two. In the latter portion of the season, the offense ran through Tomislav Ivisic. In the last seven games of the season, Ivisic averaged 15.0 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. 

The primary wing will be the latest addition to the team in Andrej Stojakovic. Stojakovic was one of the hottest names to hit the portal, and the former McDonald’s All-American immediately gives Illinois basketball a star on the perimeter. He averaged 17.9 points per game in a very weak ACC on a bad team, so he may not have as high a point total as he did last year at Cal. However, playing with better players should improve Stojakovic’s efficiency. He will need to become a more reliable catch-and-shoot option, as he only shot 31.8 percent from three.

Regardless, Boswell, Stojakovic, and Tomislav Ivisic immediately give Illinois a potent and hungry big-three.

To be determined for the Illini: One Backcourt spot and one frontcourt spot.

The Candidates: F Ty Rodgers, G Mihailo Petrovic, C Zvonimir Ivisic

Outside of Boswell, Tomislav, and Stojakovic, there are two remaining starting positions. Positionally, it makes a lot of sense for guard Mihailo Petrovic to start alongside Boswell. Petrovic is a 22-year-old veteran who has a lot of international experience and is a crafty playmaker. Petrovic would help ease Boswell’s load in the backcourt and allow him to play off the ball for periods of time. That means that one starting position in the front-court/wing is up for grabs. The leaders for this spot in my mind are Ty Rodgers and Zvonimir Ivisic. The Ivisic brothers on the court at the same time would be a fun sight and a remarkable story; however, that poses some questions defensively, with one of them having to guard more athletic power forwards.

Because of that concern, I think it is likely that Ty Rodgers nabs the final starting spot. Rodgers started every game in the 2023-2024 season en route to an Elite Eight appearance. However, he redshirted this past year in hopes of improving his offensive game. Rodgers decided to return, and I do not think he would if it meant that he was going to likely play a bench role.

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