Zvonimir Ivisic already gave Illinois plenty to work with in 2025-26, and the numbers make the case quickly. In his first season with the Illini, the 7-foot-2 big man missed only 12 two-point attempts all year, finishing 59-for-71 for an 83.1 percent clip inside the arc. He also blocked 1.9 shots per game in a reserve role, which works out to 4.5 per 40 minutes.
The advanced metrics were just as eye-opening. Per EvanMiya, Ivisic posted a 3.40 offensive box plus/minus and a 4.41 defensive box plus/minus.
His 7.81 overall mark ranked second on the team behind Keaton Wagler’s 9.84 and checked in at No. 53 nationally. With Wagler now with the Los Angeles Clippers, Ivisic stands as the Illini returner with the biggest statistical impact.
That matters because Illinois is coming off a season in which it made 391 threes, the most in the Brad Underwood era by a wide margin. As a team, the Illini shot 34.5 percent from deep. Ivisic, though, was at 28.0 percent, hitting 28 threes on the season.
Even with that number, he was still a major offensive asset. His 3.40 offensive box plus/minus says plenty about how efficiently he helped Illinois when he was on the floor. And there’s a clear reason to expect the perimeter shooting to look better next season: before arriving in Champaign, Ivisic shot 37.6 percent from three across two college seasons, first at Kentucky and then Arkansas.
If that outside touch comes back into the 37 percent range, or something close to it, while he continues to finish lobs, convert dump-offs and punish teams on the offensive glass, Illinois gets a different kind of weapon. The upside is obvious.
Defensively, the rim protection is already there. Ivisic is the kind of presence that changes shots at the basket, and even when he’s forced to defend a guard in space, he has held up fairly well.
The one area that still has room to grow is the defensive glass. He averaged 3.5 defensive rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game, which is solid, but not close to the ceiling for a player with his size, length and bounce.
That could matter for an Illinois team that finished with the No. 27 defensive rebounding percentage in the country last season. For a roster that was also the tallest in the nation, that was only decent. Ivisic has the tools to raise that number.
The bottom line is simple: he was already one of the most productive returning players in the country based on what he did in his minutes. If the three-point shot rebounds and the defensive boards come with it, Illinois may have one of the most valuable players in the sport - and he’ll still be coming off the bench.
In Other News...
Keaton Waglers Clippers Debut Just Got Hit By Sudden Off-Court Drama
Keaton Waglers NBA Summer League debut arrives with a little more off-court noise around it than anyone expected, even for a player stepping into the league under a spotlight. The former Illinois standout is set to make his first appearance after going No. 5 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the wider league conversation has shifted to a separate matter involving the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard.
The NBA is still sorting through a potential salary cap issue tied to Leonard and former sponsor Aspiration, and there is no clear end date for the process. With the league saying the review could stretch on for several weeks, the uncertainty has already put the Leonard-to-Toronto trade on hold, and the Raptors have said they will wait until the investigation is finished before moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Is Finally Unveiling A Stadium Upgrade Fans Have Waited For
Illinois football fans are about to get a long-awaited upgrade at Gies Memorial Stadium, where the university is finishing the largest main video display in college football history. The new board sits in the south end zone and is part of a broader renovation tied to a major donation from alum Larry Gies Jr., a project that has been building anticipation around what the game-day atmosphere will look like once it is finally switched on.
The price tag on the board alone is reported to be more than $20 million, and the school says the goal is to make the fan experience feel bigger and better on Saturdays in Champaign. For a program looking to keep pace with the sports flashiest venues, the timing matters too, with the unveiling set to come as the season gets underway and the first crowd gets its initial look at just how massive the display really is. [Read more 🡒]
Morez Johnson Jr. Just Reopened A Tough Illinois Conversation
Morez Johnson Jr. wasted no time making a first impression in NBA Summer League, putting up 27 points and eight rebounds in his debut for Dallas while shooting 12-for-17 from the field. For Illinois fans, the performance was a reminder of how much talent passed through Champaign in just one season before Johnson moved on to Michigan, where his college path ultimately led to a national championship and now a chance to carve out a place at the next level.
Johnsons outing also reopened an old conversation about what might have been for the Illini, especially after he shared the floor in a high-profile matchup with former Michigan teammate Yaxel Lendeborg. The immediate takeaway is simple enough: Johnson looks ready to compete, and his early pro success only adds another layer to the debate over a player whose stop at Illinois was brief, but still left enough of a mark to linger. [Read more 🡒]