3 Illinois basketball preseason All-Big Ten snubs who could crash the party

The festivities of Big Ten Media Days took place this week, and Illinois basketball was one of the hot topics.

The Illini are projected as one of the best, if not the best, teams in the Big Ten. After a Final Four run, Brad Underwood reloaded and has put us in a great position to contend for a national championship once again.

Illinois’ talent is pretty special. David Mirkovic and Andrej Stojakovic were both announced as preseason All-Big Ten players during the week. Those two deserve every accolade that comes their way, too.

Mirkovic was one of the best freshman players in the country last season, tallying 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. Stojakovic was right there numbers-wise with Mirkovic, giving Illinois 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds each night.

Having those two back in the fold is huge. They aren’t the only Illini looking to make an impact, though. I could easily make a case for three other Illinois players to make the preseason All-Big Ten team. In fact, by season’s end, it wouldn’t shock me to see at least one of these three on an All-Big Ten team.

Stefan Vaaks

Vaaks was the prized transfer portal addition for the Illini. He was right there with the best of the best transfers, checking in at No. 15 in the country.

As a freshman, Vaaks averaged 15.8 points, 3.2 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game. He also shot 35% from three-point range while taking 8.4 three-pointers per contest.

The Big East snubbed Vaaks from an All-Big East team last season despite him being named as a unanimous All-Freshman team player.

I could see Vaaks’ numbers being about the same in the Big Ten this season. Illinois has to get their scoring from somewhere, and Vaaks is one of the best options on the team. He has shown to be a willing three-point shooter, and at 6-foot-7, Vaaks should get plenty of open looks.

Tomislav Ivisic

I was surprised by Ivisic’s down year in 2025-26. He is a much better player than his stat line shows.

While disappointing, Ivisic still managed to put up 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Illini. Those numbers aren’t horrible, but it was his inability to make a three-pointer that was frustrating. Ivisic had a hard time stretching the floor for Illinois, as he shot just 31.3% from three-point range.

As Illinois’ primary big man, I could see Ivisic having big numbers in 2026-27. He started to trend toward being more of a back-to-the-basket type of player last season, so if that takes another step forward, Illinois could have a special player.

Look for Ivisic to average somewhere around 12.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game this season. If he can get his three-point shooting to around 35%, then I think he can make some noise in the All-Big Ten race.

Quentin Coleman

It is so hard to determine how impactful or talented a freshman is going to be once he hits the ground running. Quentin Coleman’s potential is through the roof, though.

Coleman has been in numerous NBA mock drafts, and I have seen some with him in the top 20. If that happens, there is no doubt that Coleman will be an All-Big Ten player this season.

In 2026-27, Coleman will help fill the massive void left by Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell. Those are some big shoes to fill, but as a five-star recruit, I think Coleman will do just fine.

Coleman is also coming off an electric senior season. He won the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.7 steals per game. He also shot 50% from three-point range.

Illinois has a special freshman in Coleman. If he could give us 12.0 points, 4.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and hit 38% or better from three-point range, then I think this kid has a spot on an All-Big Ten team.

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