Andrej Stojakovic Steps Up Big as Illinois Rolls Past Maryland Without Kylan Boswell
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - When a team loses its floor general-especially one as impactful as Kylan Boswell-you don’t just replace him. You adapt.
You recalibrate. And sometimes, someone rises to the moment.
For Illinois, that someone was Andrej Stojakovic.
With Boswell sidelined for the first time in his college career due to a fractured wrist suffered in practice on Monday, Illinois needed a spark. What they got was a full-on blaze from Stojakovic, who delivered a career night in an 89-70 rout of Maryland at State Farm Center. That’s eight straight wins now for the Illini, and this one might be the most telling of the bunch.
Let’s not sugarcoat it-Boswell’s absence left a gaping hole. He’s not just Illinois’ second-leading scorer; he’s also one of the best perimeter defenders in the country.
That’s a lot of production and leadership to make up for on short notice. But head coach Brad Underwood didn’t flinch, and neither did his team.
“It’s him, it’s gonna be him for a lot of nights,” Underwood said of Stojakovic postgame. “He’s got to want to accept that challenge.”
Challenge accepted.
Stojakovic came out firing, dropping 16 points in the first half and finishing the night with 30 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. That’s not just filling in-it's taking over.
And while Illini fans already knew the junior guard could get to the rim, Wednesday night added a new wrinkle: he was lights out from deep. Stojakovic hit four of five from beyond the arc-all in the first half-marking the first time this season he’s made more than two threes in a game. That kind of shooting opens up everything for Illinois’ offense, especially when you’re missing a playmaker like Boswell.
But what truly set his performance apart wasn’t just the scoring-it was the defense.
Maryland came in with a red-hot scorer in David Coit, who had poured in 73 points over his last two games. With Boswell out, slowing Coit down was going to be a team effort.
Stojakovic made sure it started with him. He hounded Coit all night, holding him to just 5-of-15 shooting and 1-of-8 from three.
He also grabbed six defensive boards and blocked four shots, showing a level of physicality and defensive awareness that hadn’t always been front and center in his game.
“Defense should be easy,” Underwood said. “Defense is just effort and a desire to want to, then it’s my job to make doggone sure that he’s ready to do that and demand that he does it.”
That effort was undeniable. After scoring just 11 points combined in his last two outings, Stojakovic played like a man with something to prove-and he proved plenty.
He showed he can be more than just a scorer. He showed he can anchor a defense. And perhaps most importantly, he showed that Illinois can still thrive, even without their heartbeat in Boswell.
“He’s got all the tools to be an outstanding, outstanding defender,” Underwood added.
If this is the version of Stojakovic Illinois is getting while Boswell recovers, the Illini might not just survive this stretch-they might come out of it stronger.