Illinois basketball is coming off a massive night for the program, as Andrej Stojakovic officially announced he is back.
This was a crazy up and down of emotions. Stojakovic was back with the Illini a month ago. He then wasn’t back. Illinois fans were clamoring for a decision. Stojakovic waited until just hours before the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline, but he ended up returning to Champaign for one final run.
Stojakovic echoed this sentiment in his return video that was posted on Illinois’ social media page.
Your heart always leads you back to Illinois. pic.twitter.com/NKpRVaFODg
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) May 27, 2026
The video is bookended by two great quotes. It starts with Stojakovic telling us what Illinois means to him.
“Last season changed my life. At the University of Illinois, I found more than a team. I found brothers. Coaches who believed in me. Fans who gave us everything. A program that showed me what it means to compete for something bigger than yourself.”
Honestly, Stojakovic could have ended it there. The goosebumps are prevalent, the eyes are misty, but the way he ended the video is a chef’s kiss.
“In the end, my heart led me back to Illinois. What we are building here is special. I believe in this locker room, and I know we have what it takes to win a national championship. So, let’s turn the page and run it back. I-L-L.”
It will be interesting to see how Illinois basketball spreads the ball on the offensive end of the court
The feelings are good right now, as Illinois has a key piece to the puzzle returning. Stojakovic’s 13.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists come back for another go at a title.
With that being said, there are a lot of players who need the ball and only one ball to go around.
Illinois had this situation last season, too. The only difference is that we had someone in Keaton Wagler who was one of the most unselfish superstars you will ever see. He wasn’t hogging the ball. The only times he would go iso is when Illinois was struggling, and we needed a bucket.
Wagler was always able to facilitate the offense and get others involved. The sign of a great player is the ability to make his teammates better. That is what Wagler was able to do.
Does Illinois have that on the 2026-27 team? We will find out. You have Stefan Vaaks, Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Quentin Coleman, all likely with NBA aspirations. Getting buckets will catch the eye of NBA scouts. It will be interesting to see how each player gets his throughout a contest.
Add us as a preferred source on Google