Big Ten Media Days put Illinois basketball back in the spotlight this week, and the buzz around the Illini is easy to understand. After a Final Four run, Brad Underwood reloaded the roster and has Illinois positioned to chase a national championship again.
Two players already got preseason recognition. David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic were both named preseason All-Big Ten selections, and both earned it.
Mirkovic was one of the country’s best freshman players last season, posting 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. Stojakovic was right there with him statistically, averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds a night.
But those two aren’t the only Illinois players who could end up making noise in the league. There’s a case for three more Illini to work their way into the preseason All-Big Ten conversation, and by the end of the season, at least one of them landing on an All-Big Ten team wouldn’t be a surprise.
Stefan Vaaks looks like the most obvious candidate. Illinois landed him as the prized transfer portal pickup, and he came in ranked No. 15 among the best transfers in the country.
Vaaks put together a strong freshman season, averaging 15.8 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 35% from three-point range on 8.4 attempts per contest. The Big East left him off its All-Big East team last season even after he made the unanimous All-Freshman team, but the scoring should translate in Champaign.
Illinois needs offense, and Vaaks gives them a proven option who should see plenty of space at 6-foot-7.
Tomislav Ivisic is another name to watch after a 2025-26 season that fell short of expectations. Even with the dip, he still averaged 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, but the real issue was his perimeter shooting.
He hit just 31.3% from three, which made it tougher for Illinois to stretch the floor. Still, as the team’s primary big man, there’s room for a bigger season if his game continues to tilt toward playing with his back to the basket.
A jump to around 12.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, along with three-point shooting closer to 35%, would put him firmly in the All-Big Ten mix.
Then there’s Quentin Coleman, the freshman with the highest ceiling of the bunch. He’s been showing up in NBA mock drafts, with some putting him in the top 20.
If that kind of buzz turns into reality, an All-Big Ten season could follow. Coleman arrives with big expectations and a big role, especially with Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell gone.
He comes off a dominant senior season that earned him Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year honors after he averaged 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 steals per game while shooting 50% from three-point range. If he can give Illinois 12.0 points, 4.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and hit at least 38% from deep, he has a real shot to crash the All-Big Ten party.
In Other News...
Illinois Ceiling Suddenly Rests On One Massive David Mirkovic Question
David Mirkovics recovery has become one of the quiet storylines hanging over Illinois as the program looks ahead, and the latest update offered a little encouragement without providing any firm answers. The forward has been working back from foot surgery since early August, and at Big Ten media day he said he is in a good spot with the rehab process. For a team that has been trying to piece together its long-term ceiling, having a frontcourt piece on the mend is important even if the calendar still feels hazy.
Brad Underwood has already addressed Mirkovics status more than once, but the specifics are still elusive, which is part of what makes this such a watch point for Illinois. There is no official timeline, though the door remains open for a return before the start of the 2026-27 season, and until the Illini know more, his availability will linger as one of those background issues that can shape everything from roster planning to how high the program can reasonably aim. [Read more 🡒]
Shauna Green Just Changed Illinois' Long-Term Ceiling
Shauna Greens new six-year extension gives Illinois womens basketball a level of continuity that programs spend years trying to build. Since arriving in Champaign, Green has helped raise the standard of the program while also keeping players in place, and the new deal signals that the university views that stability as a major part of its future.
The extension, signed Sept. 10, could keep her with the Illini through 2036, and it comes with a non-compete clause that would keep her from leaving for another college or WNBA opportunity. For a program that has already seen meaningful progress under Green across her four seasons, the arrangement is about more than rewarding success, it is about locking in a long runway for what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Bowl Hopes Suddenly Ride On Michigan State
Illinois entered the 2026 season with plenty of optimism even after losing starting quarterback Luke Altmyer, turning the offense over to Katin Houser and expecting to stay in the hunt in a demanding Big Ten race. Instead, losses to Duke, Ohio State and Purdue have left the Illini at 2-3, and the margin for error is gone as the schedule only gets harder from here.
Now the trip to Michigan State looms as the kind of game that can shape the rest of the fall. Illinois needs at least four more wins to reach bowl eligibility, and with several ranked opponents still ahead, this matchup has quickly become more than just another conference date. It is the one that could determine whether the Illini are talking postseason possibilities or simply trying to salvage a season that started with much bigger expectations. [Read more 🡒]