Illinois basketball: The Twin Towers provide an intriguing boost.

Illinois basketball scored big this offseason, landing four international players from the Balkan region to join their six returning scholarship players. The Illini will field a unique blend of American-born talent and five players from the greater Balkans area. Leading the frontcourt will be a pair of 7-foot twin brothers: Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic.

Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina in August 2003, Zvonimir and Tomislav followed parallel basketball paths until Zvonimir chose to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky. Tomislav followed a year later, joining Illinois and making an immediate impact in his first season.

As expected, “Z” and “Tomi” grew up playing alongside each other, and their chemistry should resume seamlessly. The twins have competed together at a high level since the age of 14, giving Illinois a built-in chemistry few frontcourts can match.

They first left their hometown of Vitez in Bosnia at age 14 to join the Croatian club Šibenka. In 2020, they both moved to Podgorica in Montenegro to play for SC Derby.

Assistant coach Orlando Antigua played a key role in bringing both brothers to the United States as he first recruited Zvonimir to Kentucky and later brought Tomislav to Illinois. Now, the proven high-level recruiter has reunited the twins to anchor the Illini’s frontcourt.

The Balkan Brothers are back on the court together after a two-year hiatus, ready to bring their European style to Champaign. Zvonimir and Tomislav are expected to log minutes together, which should pose serious matchup problems for opposing defenses.

They will bring floor-stretching ability, three-point range, and elite passing to an Illini team that should be dangerous offensively. Their size and rim protection ability should give the Illini an improved identity defensively.   

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