Backcourt gets stronger, as Illinois lands massive point guard from overseas

Brad Underwood and the Illinois basketball coaching staff came through again in a big way.

The Illini didn’t have to add a ton of pieces this offseason due to many players returning to the roster. Players like Kylan Boswell and Tomislav Ivisic will be great for the program and will likely be in contention for first-team All-Big Ten.

Illinois was also able to land some key pieces to fill the voids left by departing players. Tomislav’s brother, Zvonimir, is now on the roster. The Illini are adding multiple players from overseas, too.

A couple of weeks ago, Illinois added David Mirkovic to the roster. He hails from Montenegro. Underwood needed more guard help, and he answered that need with a huge addition.

On Tuesday, Jonathan Givony of ESPN reported that Illinois has landed Mihailo Petrovic.

Petrovic is a 6-foot-3 point guard who spent the past few seasons playing overseas. The 22-year-old Serbian spent last season with Mega BG in the ABA League and averaged 14.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Illinois basketball strengthens the backcourt with the huge addition of Mihailo Petrovic

It is fun to watch Petrovic go to work on the court. He isn’t going to blow you away with his shooting, but he is someone who is going to be able to score the basketball.

Petrovic hit 33.8% from three-point range last season, which is okay, but I think his true point guard abilities is what stands out to me the most. He has great handles, which will be nice in the backcourt. I also love his ability to get into the lane and finish. He uses his body and can score in various ways.

Illinois now has two great point guard options heading into next season. I think this will help free up Boswell to do more offensively. Both players are kind of similar in how they can do damage in the paint. I can’t wait to see them feed off of each other next season.