Brad Underwood's simple roster retention pitch paid off as well as it possibly could have

With less than a week until the transfer portal closes, Illinois men's basketball coach Brad Underwood has done an absolutely incredible job at retaining his star players, even as many could have left for the NBA Draft, much less the portal itself.

From David Mirkovic to Jake Davis to the Ivisic brothers, the Fighting Illini are going to have a lot of familiar faces on the court next season.

When asked what his pitch to those players was, convincing them to stay for another year, Underwood's response was simple, but clearly worked as well as it possibly could have.

"One, run it back. We'd be foolish to not want to think that. Secondly, for me selfishly, I had as much fun coaching this team as I've ever had," Underwood said. "This team connects at an incredible level."

Returning Illini primed for return to Final Four

Yes, the Illini are losing stars like Keaton Wagler, who declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, and Kylan Boswell, who exhausted his eligibility.

However, Underwood's simple pitch aimed at retention has paid its dividends with Mirkovic, Davis, and both Ivisics already announcing their returns.

Not to mention, Illinois picked up transfer shooting guard Stefan Vaaks from Providence, making up for the offensive production lost by Wagler and Boswell's departures.

Mirkovic, who rapidly became a fan favorite for Illinois fans and supporters of other teams alike, started in 36 games last season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.

Davis, one of the unsung heroes of Underwood's rotation, has been with Illinois for two years, averaging 5.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while coming off the bench last season.

Tomislav Ivisic started over his brother, Zvonimir, and averaged 10.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. When Zvonimir rotated onto the court, he averaged 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per appearance.

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