Illinois fans got the update they were waiting for, and it starts with Andrej Stojakovic.
Brad Underwood said the forward is healthy as the Illini continue summer work in Champaign, easing any concern that lingered after Stojakovic had a knee scope earlier this offseason and withdrew from the NBA Draft. The timing mattered, because Illinois is trying to build momentum with a roster that has already spent plenty of time apart.
“We just completed the second week where we've had everybody,” Underwood said. “We're installing some new things offensively and defensively. Andrej Stojakovic is healthy.”
That matters because summer basketball is rarely simple. Some players need a break after a season that can stretch from November into March and even April, while others are off playing for national teams.
Illinois, though, has done a good job keeping key pieces in town. David Mirkovic, for example, could have joined the Montenegro National Team, but instead stayed in Champaign and worked with Adam Fletcher.
Stojakovic followed a similar path after his procedure, sticking around to rehab before finally getting back on the floor with the team. Underwood’s note that the group has only now finished its second full week together suggests Illinois is still catching up in some areas, especially compared with programs that had everyone back sooner.
The one newcomer still away has been Stefan Vaaks, who was playing with the Estonian national team. Even so, the returning players already know what Underwood wants, and the freshmen are in the process of learning it fast.
Illinois is coming off its first Final Four trip since 2005, and the buzz around this roster is obvious. With much of last season’s group back in place, plus important holdovers like Stojakovic and Mirkovic, the Illini look built to be in the conversation again. Underwood has bigger ambitions than just another deep run, too - he wants this team to push all the way to the National Championship.
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The concern centers on Stefan Vaaks, who has been away with Estonias national team during FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and now has some catching up to do in summer preparation. For a program that already sees Vaaks and Quentin Coleman as potential first-round NBA draft talents in 2027, getting everyone aligned early matters, and Underwoods comments made clear that Vaaks ramp-up is one of the first things Illinois will be watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
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For Illinois, that makes Indiana less of a one-off challenge and more of the standard. The Hoosiers are coming off a national title, have barely stumbled in league play under Cignetti, and face a schedule that will test whether this rise is a flash or the new normal. If the Illini want to measure themselves against the conferences best, Indiana is the team they have to keep in view every week. [Read more 🡒]