Illinois is getting encouraging summer signs on two fronts: Andrej Stojaković is working his way back from injury, and the new faces are already starting to settle in.
For Brad Underwood, the biggest news has been Stojaković’s return to the floor after a right knee scope. The Illinois coach made it clear that simply having the guard available day after day matters for everyone around the program.
"Every day he’s out there is a good day," Underwood said of Stojaković." It helps our basketball team become better.
It helped him become better, but the biggest thing is you want him feeling right and healthy. He’s been here the entire time since the (NBA) Combine, the surgery and the rehab."
That recovery has been a major summer storyline for the Fighting Illini, who are using this stretch to get healthy and tighten up the roster before the season arrives.
The newcomers are also drawing positive reviews. Stefan Vaaks and Quentin Coleman are getting their footing in the system, and Underwood singled out Vaaks in particular for the way his shot already plays.
"We’ll get dialed in a little more as to strengths and weaknesses within the framework of what we’re doing, but his shooting is no-nonsense," Underwood said about Vaaks. "It’s really good."
Underwood said the adjustment has been helped by the way these players have approached the offseason. Instead of taking it easy, they’ve been on the court, and that has made the learning process smoother.
"They’re playing basketball," Underwood said. "It’s not like they’re, you know, sitting on a beach doing nothing… The transition becomes pretty easy."
With Stojaković trending back toward full strength and Vaaks showing early promise as a shooter, Illinois is spending the rest of the summer on cohesion. If those pieces keep moving in the right direction, the Illini’s backcourt depth could end up being one of the team’s biggest strengths when fall arrives.
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