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Andrej Stojakovic has NBA Draft Combine shooting day that most expected

There is a big name who could come back to the Illinois basketball program, but it is a wait and see game right now, as he takes on the NBA Draft Combine.
ByRees Woodcock|
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Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots against Connecticut Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) shoots against Connecticut Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Illinois basketball team is in limbo right now, as we await word on whether or not we will have a key player back next season.

It has been a wild couple of months for the Illini. We made a great run to the Final Four. After that, most of the roster returned, minus our backcourt.

On April 17, Illinois posted a video of Andrej Stojakovic with a newspaper, yes, a newspaper, and Stojakovic said, “I’m back.”

Nine days later, Stojakovic declares for the NBA Draft while keeping his eligibility.

The NBA Draft Combine is going on right now, and Stojakovic is getting his chance to shine in front of NBA talent evaluators. Coming into the combine, I thought there was a chance that Stojakovic might struggle in one key area.

Shooting.

Boy howdy, was I right on the money.

Tyler Metcalf of No Ceilings NBA posted a video of the jumbotron at the NBA Draft Combine that had the results of the athletic and shooting numbers from the day.

Stojakovic knocked the athletic numbers out of the park. We all know he is a tremendous athlete, and that is one of the reasons he jumps off the page. The shooting numbers, though, left a lot to be desired.

Spot-Up Shooting

  • Ranked: 16 out of 26
  • Stats: 11-of-25 (44%)

Shooting off the Dribble

  • Ranked: 8 out of 26
  • Stats: 20-of-30 (66.6%)

3-Point Star Drill

  • Ranked: 23 out of 26
  • Stats: 9-of-25 (36%)

Free Throw Attempts

  • Ranked: 15 out of 26
  • Stats: 7-of-10 (70%)

Side-Mid-Side

  • Ranked: 16 out of 26
  • Stats: 14-of-29 (48.3%)

The shooting off the dribble numbers were solid. Finishing in the top 10 is great to see, but there are some glaring issues with the rest of the shooting numbers.

I figured Stojakovic would be on the struggle bus with three-point shooting. He was nearly dead last in the three-point star drill, only hitting 9-of-25. That is a big one, especially for an NBA that is geared toward the three-point shot.

Illinois basketball knows what Andrej Stojakovic needs to work on during the 2026-27 season

I think most people expect Stojakovic to return to Illinois for one more season. He has already said he would, and now that he isn’t performing well in the shooting metrics, it seems like a matter of when and not if.

Illinois fans got a front row seat on the pluses and minuses of Stojakovic. We knew he was a great athlete who could get to the rim. That is something that isn’t tested at the NBA Draft Combine.

We also knew that Stojakovic wasn’t a great shooter. He only hit 24.4% from three-point range, and there were a lot of wide-open shots.

I think the Illini will get Stojakovic back in the fold for next season. This kid will have an axe to grind, and this summer, he will be in the lab working on his game. We are going to see the best version possible of Stojakovic in 2026-27.

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