In Illinois’ 10-point win over Minnesota on Saturday, junior guard Andrej Stojakovic hit a major milestone-his 1,000th career point. That’s not just a number; it’s a testament to consistency, versatility, and scoring touch across three different programs. And yes, the team made sure to celebrate the moment in style.
After the game, head coach Brad Underwood was asked about the postgame water bottle celebration that broke out in the locker room. Turns out, the ringleader was none other than Tomislav Ivisic-no surprise there.
Ivisic has already established himself as the team’s unofficial hype man, especially after his now-infamous demolition of Illinois’ guitar trophy following the win over Tennessee last month. When it comes to bringing the energy, Tomi doesn’t miss.
But the night wasn’t all good news for Illinois. Stojakovic left the game late with a hamstring injury.
There’s no update yet on the severity, but any missed time would be a blow, especially with the toughest stretch of the Big Ten slate looming. So far this season, he’s added 229 points to his career total, building on the 251 he dropped as a freshman at Stanford and the 520 he posted during his sophomore year at Cal.
He’s been a steady scoring presence wherever he’s gone-and Illinois is banking on that continuing.
Now, the focus shifts to Wednesday night’s home matchup against Maryland. Illinois is riding a seven-game win streak and playing some of its best basketball of the season.
But Maryland has always been a tricky opponent for the Illini. No matter the records or the rankings, the Terps seem to have a knack for making life difficult.
This next game will be a key test-not just for Illinois’ momentum, but for how they adapt if Stojakovic is limited or unavailable. The Big Ten grind is here, and every possession, every rotation, every healthy body matters.