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A surprising name could give Illinois basketball back-to-back NBA Draft Lottery picks

Brad Underwood has enabled Illinois basketball to be a part of the NBA Draft process, and now there is potential the Illini could get back-to-back NBA Draft Lottery picks.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts after a play against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Illinois basketball team is waiting on a few things right now that will button up the offseason.

The biggest task on Brad Underwood’s plate is to get Andrej Stojakovic back with the Illini. He was returning and then decided to declare for the NBA Draft. Everyone and their mothers think he should return, but with two days left until the deadline, there is still no decision.

Another thing that Illinois is looking at this offseason is how many and where each player will be selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. Kylan Boswell and Stojakovic are both projected to go late in the second round. You then have freshman sensation Keaton Wagler projected to go early in the first round.

I think it is a near lock that Wagler goes in the top seven. Wagler would give Illinois our first NBA Draft Lottery pick, which is in the top 14, since Meyers Leonard back in 2012. With that being said, could Illinois be in line for back-to-back NBA Draft Lottery picks?

Wagler is a lock. On Saturday, KJ Scouting on social media posted an early 2027 NBA Draft big board. Now, it is early, and this literally doesn’t matter, but on the big board, they have an Illinois player in the top 10. Who is that player?

Quentin Coleman.

To begin 2026, no one was putting Coleman in the 2027 NBA Draft, let alone having him No. 6 overall among the 2027 NBA Draft prospects.

Coleman saw a massive rise in his overall profile. He went from being the No. 90 player in the class of 2026 to now being the No. 13 player in the country and a five-star recruit.

The great play from Coleman is what has set him apart. He won the Missouri Gatorade Player of the Year, dropping 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. He then went into the Iverson Classic all-star game and won the MVP, finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds, two steals, and one assist while shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 4-of-7 from three-point range.

Coleman’s rise has been amazing to watch, and the fact that he is looked at as a potential NBA Draft Lottery pick in 2027 is exciting.

Illinois basketball could have had a few names on the list of the top options for the 2027 NBA Draft

While Coleman could easily be up there with the top options for the 2027 NBA Draft, I think there are a couple of other players who Illinois fans might think could have been the name sitting at No. 6.

Honestly, I truly believe people are sleeping on David Mirkovic. As a freshman, he put up 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and shot 37.5% from three-point range. He is an incredible talent, and it wouldn’t shock me to see Mirkovic go, at worst, in the first round.

And then you have Stojakovic. Does he come back to Illinois? If he does, can the kid work on his shooting and defense enough to be considered one of the top 30 players in the 2027 NBA Draft?

One thing is guaranteed for the 2026-27 season. Illinois is going to have a ton of talent. This program should be one of the favorites to win the national championship without a doubt.

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