Illinois has plenty to feel good about heading into 2026-27, but if you’re trying to pinpoint the transfer who could matter most, Stefan Vaaks is the easy answer.
The Fighting Illini are riding a wave after reaching the Final Four for the first time in 21 years, and Brad Underwood has kept the program moving in a major way over his nine seasons in Champaign. Last season’s breakthrough was powered in part by freshman standout Keaton Wagler, who turned into a lottery pick in the NBA Draft, but Illinois is hardly starting over. Andrej Stojakovic is back for a major backcourt role, David Mirkovic returns after his March Madness surge, and the Illini also get their twin 7-footers, Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, back again.
Underwood’s staff also moved quickly to patch the roster around that core. Quentin Coleman is now a 4-star and is drawing some of the same kind of buzz Wagler did a year ago. The freshman class brings more help too, with 4-star Lucas Morillo and frontcourt depth in 3-stars Lincoln Williams and Zavier Zens.
Still, Illinois only made one addition from the transfer portal, and that makes Vaaks stand out even more. The 6-7 guard from Estonia arrived after a freshman season at Providence in which he emerged as one of the Big East’s best shooters. He averaged 15.8 points and 3.2 assists while hitting 35% from 3-point range, and he led the conference in made 3-pointers.
That kind of production gives Illinois exactly what it needs. Vaaks steps into a backcourt opening and immediately profiles as the team’s top shooter, a valuable piece after the departures of Wagler and Kylan Boswell. He was an efficient scorer and a dangerous perimeter threat in the Big East, and there’s every reason to think that skill set can translate in Champaign.
With so much returning talent, a promising freshman group, and Vaaks added to the mix, Illinois has the ingredients to stay in the national conversation. The lineup still has to be sorted out, and Underwood will have choices to make, but the appeal is obvious: a veteran core, international flavor, and a transfer who can fill a real need right away.
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The Illini return a strong core from last season while also bringing in a top transfer and a highly regarded recruiting class, giving the roster the balance that can support bigger ambitions. Underwood has made no secret of chasing a national championship, and with this much returning production and incoming talent, the pressure around Illinois is only going to grow from here. [Read more 🡒]
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Williams appeal goes beyond the usual freshman buzz. Underwood likes the athleticism and attitude he brings, and the early workouts have shown enough on both ends of the floor to suggest he is not just filling a roster spot. For a program trying to build continuity while adding young talent, Williams is already making the kind of first impression that can matter once the season gets moving. [Read more 🡒]
Former Illini Starter Hopeful Finally Lands Somewhere Unexpected
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Elsewhere in the Illini alumni pipeline, Ben Humrichous has been making a case for himself with the Brooklyn Nets in Summer League, while Kasparas Jakucionis has been busy overseas for Lithuania before landing in a new NBA situation of his own. Between those two and Petrovics latest move, the former Illinois core is spreading out in different directions, and each one still has something to prove as the next level starts to sort itself out. [Read more 🡒]