Illinois fans got a fresh look at the men’s basketball roster on Monday, when the program’s social media team rolled out early fall highlights that offered another reminder of why plenty in Champaign think this group can contend for a national title.
There are still all the usual guardrails this time of year - it’s early, the clips are curated, and exhibition season is still ahead with Cincinnati coming up on Oct. 17 - but the reel still said plenty about what Illinois might be building.
Andrej Stojakovic showed the kind of downhill aggression that jumps off the screen. He tried to finish over Zvonimir Ivisic in transition, a decision that didn’t work out, though it did reinforce the fearlessness that makes him dangerous attacking the rim. He later knocked down a three in the same sequence, which is the sort of shot that will matter if he can bring it consistently when the games count.
Quentin Coleman, meanwhile, keeps showing there’s more to his game than smooth perimeter shooting. The freshman beat Jake Davis off the dribble, hung in the air, worked around a help defender and finished a left-handed layup off the glass.
In the next clip, he followed with a borderline poster dunk, even if Lucas Morillo didn’t fully sell out on the play. The takeaway is simple: Coleman’s athleticism is real, but what stands out most is how well he controls his body and finds angles at the rim.
Ethan Brown also flashed a skill that fits neatly into the surprise package Brad Underwood hinted at in the summer when he called Brown “extremely athletic.” Brown used a quick double-cross to shake Blake Fagbemi, then got to the basket for an easy finish. Brown arrived in Champaign with a reputation as a long-range shooter and a smart passer, but if he can give Illinois even 10-15 solid minutes a night, the Illini’s main concern - backcourt depth - starts looking a lot less serious.
One of the most useful clips in the bunch came from a Stefan Vaaks action that looked tailor-made for this roster. Davis came up to set a screen, ghosted it, and Vaaks, with two defenders on him, fired a one-handed pass without picking up his dribble.
Davis buried the three. Vaaks also showed off his ability to attack the rim and later dropped an easy lob to a flying Jason Jakstys.
He averaged 3.2 assists as a freshman at Providence in 2025-26, and with the talent around him in Champaign, that number could climb in a big way in 2026-27.
The reel finished with Tomislav Ivisic going to work against his twin brother, Zvonimir. Tomislav used a shoulder fake on a baby hook with his right hand, then stepped through and finished a soft layup over Big Z’s reach.
His post game is already loaded with options, and Illinois has more than enough evidence that he can shoot from deep and pass from the mid-post. The next step is obvious: get him the ball with his back to the basket more often.
That gives the offense another layer, and it also gets more out of him as a rebounder and defender.
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Illinois Newcomers Are Already Shaking Up Brad Underwood's Rotation
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There is also competition everywhere, which is exactly how Underwood wants it. With David Mirkovic and Zvonimir Ivisic continuing to move forward in their recoveries, the freshman class is pushing for minutes and forcing the staff to sort through a rotation that is not set yet. For Illinois, the early days of practice are already serving the bigger purpose of the fall: building a roster that can withstand the grind of the season and make every minute on the floor feel earned. [Read more 🡒]
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Bielema has not revealed what the defense will look like next, and that uncertainty is part of the challenge. Illinois is expected to adjust its scheme, possibly moving away from the 3-3-5 alignment used under Hauck, but the real test is whether the change can happen cleanly enough to matter right away. Purdue will offer the first look at how much Bielema can simplify, shift, or reshape things without exposing the defense in the process. [Read more 🡒]