Andrej Stojakovic has become a clean snapshot of what Illinois basketball wants to be under Brad Underwood.
He’s the program’s lone McDonald’s All-American during Underwood’s time in Champaign, but that label only tells part of the story. Illinois has landed elite talent before - Will Riley and Quentin Coleman were both five-star prospects - yet the staff’s real edge seems to come from finding players who buy into something bigger than their own numbers.
Stojakovic fits that mold now, even if his path to Champaign took some detours. He began at Stanford, where he averaged 22.3 minutes and 7.8 points per game while shooting 40.9 percent from the field.
He then moved to Cal, where the scoring jumped to 17.9 points a night, but the efficiency dipped to 42.7 percent. In both seasons, his teams finished well below .500 and never came close to the NCAA Tournament.
At Illinois, the role changed again. His shot attempts dropped.
His scoring fell to 13.5 points per game. A former McDonald’s All-American who had just averaged nearly 18 points in the ACC was coming off the bench in 13 games last season.
The tradeoff, though, was winning. Illinois went 28-0 in 2025-26, matching Stojakovic’s combined win total from his first two college seasons, and he was in the Final Four.
Now, heading into his fourth season of college basketball, Stojakovic had every reason to chase personal production and draft stock after being on the fence for the NBA Draft this year and choosing to return to Champaign. But when he was asked about his goals on “The Illinois Script,” he kept the focus on the group.
“Continue to become more cohesive as a unit every day,” Stojakovic said. “That’s something we kind of pride ourselves on. And think about what we can do to be better as Illinois, and not just for ourselves.”
Asked about his individual goals, he pointed to leadership and accountability, especially with so many new faces around him.
“Holding my teammates to a higher standard, realizing that what happened last year has nothing to do with what we want to do this year,” Stojakovic said. “But, yeah, I’m trying to be a leader for the younger guys. We have a lot of freshmen this year, so being there for them.”
That theme showed up again when he was asked what he wants to accomplish before he’s done playing basketball.
“Become a national champion,” Stojakovic said. “Pretty easy.”
That answer says plenty. Stojakovic is the son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, and he knows how to handle a microphone, but the words still line up with the way he played last season.
He wasn’t chasing shots or spotlight. He was part of a team that won big.
And that’s the broader Illinois story, too. Underwood has either found players wired to put the team first or taught them to think that way. Stojakovic is the clearest example of both: a high-level talent who still talks like winning is the only stat that matters.
That identity has shown up across the roster in recent years, with most of the Illini embracing the same team-over-self approach. If Underwood keeps landing players like that - talented enough to matter and unselfish enough to fit - Illinois has the kind of formula that can keep it in the national-title conversation year after year.
In Other News...
David Mirkovic Is Entering Rare Air For Illinois Basketball
David Mirkovics rise has put him in territory Illinois mens basketball does not visit often. After a freshman season in which he averaged 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists, the 6-foot-9 forward is drawing preseason All-American consideration, with analytics site EvanMiya.com ranking him 12th overall and 247Sports podcast The Assist naming him to its preseason All-American team.
For Illinois, the bigger story is the company he may be joining. Preseason All-American recognition has been rare for Fighting Illini players, which is part of what makes Mirkovics name so notable heading into the season. The attention now is on whether he can turn last years production into something even larger and claim a spot among the programs elite before the games even begin. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Faces A Bigger Test Than Fans Want To Admit Against Purdue
Illinois gets Purdue at 3:15 p.m. Saturday in a Big Ten matchup that carries more weight than the records might suggest. The game will be on BTN and streamed on FOXSportsGO, and while the Illini are 2-2 and the Boilermakers are 1-3, recent history says this is not the sort of opponent Illinois can afford to treat casually.
The last meeting went well for the Illini, who beat Purdue 43-27 behind strong work from quarterback Luke Altmyer and receiver Hank Beatty. But with both teams still trying to find some early-season footing, this one feels like a good measuring stick for Illinois, especially if the offense wants to show that last year's meeting was more than just a comfortable afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Katin Houser May Finally Get The Help Illinois Offense Needs
Katin Houser has spent much of the season dealing with the kind of protection issues that can quietly wreck an offense, and Illinois has felt the effects all along the front. Injuries on the offensive line have made life harder for the quarterback, and the numbers have reflected it, with Housers passing production and sack rate both trending in the wrong direction as the unit has shuffled around him.
There may finally be some relief on the way for the trip to Purdue. Starting guards Maika Matelau and Brandon Henderson are listed as probable, while Champ Smith has also moved up to questionable, a sign the Illini could be nearing something closer to real depth up front. For an offense that has been searching for stability, even a healthier lineup could go a long way toward giving Houser the kind of support he has been missing. [Read more 🡒]