Last night, Andrej Stojakovic put on a show as he urged the Illinois Fighting Illini to their dominant win over the VCU Rams.
With 21 points, four rebounds, one assist, and one block to his name (after coming off the bench), Stojakovic could have understandably been quick to give himself a pat on the back.
However, after the game, Stojakovic was anything but prideful. In fact, he showed everyone just how willing he is to do whatever it takes to help Illinois win every single game.
"I think me coming here and getting to this point, just like every other newcomer that came to this team this year, all we can do is help this team go as far as we can," Stojakovic said in the postgame press conference.
Andrej Stojakovic 'believes' in Brad Underwood's program
Clearly, Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has had his players buy into his program, and that is something that is undeniably critical for a team to advance through the NCAA Tournament: belief.
"We came here for a reason because we believe in this program, and we're going to continue to control what we can, and that's how much we work at it and with what intensity we play," Stojakovic said.
Of course, Underwood brought in two elite additions for the Fighting Illini from the transfer portal, including Stojakovic and Zvonimir Ivisic.
Stojakovic's sentiment that all he can do moving forward is take care of the things he can control might be just as telling a sentiment. He's worried about his effort, his performance, and his controllables. He isn't listening to the outside noise or the other team.
Andrej Stojakovic was asked to take on a totally different role at Illinois, and was challenged at times throughout the season.
— Glenn Kinley (@glenn_kinley) March 22, 2026
After his 21 point performance in round of 32 win vs VCU, I asked him (via Zoom) if this made it all worth it/if this is what he envisioned when coming… pic.twitter.com/GCIGioiNel
He is in the perfect, focused, and unselfish mindset that an athlete has to be in during the postseason. In other words, Underwood and every Illinois fan out there should be more than excited to have Stojakovic on the roster.
Next, the Fighting Illini face a monster, the No. 2-seed Houston Cougars, in the Sweet 16. While it is undeniably a massive uphill battle ahead, Stojakovic's mindset may just be enough to push Illinois to the upset win.
Three-seed Illinois and two-seed Houston are scheduled to tip off on Thursday, March 26, for a spot in the Elite Eight. The tip-off time and broadcast channel have yet to be announced.