The Illinois basketball team is waiting in limbo right now, as Andrej Stojakovic is still deciding on what he wants to do with his future.
It has been a long time since the Illini have dealt with this real of an NBA Draft decision. We have had plenty of players declare for the NBA Draft and then either stay in it or withdraw, but Stojakovic is waiting extremely late in the game.
My hope is that this is all for theatrics. One of those saving the best for last scenarios. But there is a chance he is still truly deciding. Waiting this long, to me, means he is going to be staying in the draft process, but who knows at this point?
I keep thinking of the worst-case scenario for the Illini. What happens if Stojakovic does stay in the NBA Draft? What does Brad Underwood do?
It is pretty simple. The Stojakovic decision going wayward and him not coming back to Illinois gives a golden opportunity to two players who would have had a reduced role on the team. The first player is an obvious one.
Jake Davis.
Davis slipped into the starting job when Stojakovic was hurt last season. He held that role, as team chemistry seemed to be better, and Stojakovic was a nice spark plug off the bench.
As a junior, Davis averaged 5.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He also hit a career-high 40.6% from three-point range. The corner three-pointer was his specialty, and he continued to perfect his craft all of last season.
If Stojakovic went into the draft, I think you would see Davis back in the starting role for the Illini. My guess is that he will play the same role that he did for the Orange and Blue last season. He is someone who can spread the floor and hit shots from deep. Illinois is going to need that.
Illinois basketball could have a freshman step up in a big way if Andrej Stojakovic heads to the NBA
Davis would see a big impact to his playing time if Stojakovic left for The Association. He would have the green light to shoot three-pointers all game long.
I think there is another player who could step up into a premier role for the Illini with the absence of Stojakovic.
Zavier Zens.
Some people aren’t familiar with this name yet, but you will get to know him quickly. Zens is a 6-foot-7 forward who was the No. 212 player in the country in early May, but he jumped up to four-star status and the No. 125 player in the country in the final 2026 update.
Don’t sleep on what Zens can do for the Illini. He won the Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year by averaging 23.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a senior. What also pops off the page about his game is the fact that he took 132 three-pointers last season and hit them at a clip of 42%.
A 6-foot-7 wing who can be physical, drive the basketball, and shoot from the perimeter is exactly what Underwood needs in this offense.
If Stojakovic heads to the next level, Zens is going to see his profile instantly improve. He will have more minutes, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him have a monster freshman season. I think he can play multiple positions, but having him and Davis rotating in and out at the No. 3 spot would be great for the Illini.
The worst-case scenario is that Stojakovic heads to the NBA. Illinois is prepared, though. We have the dogs to get the job done without missing too much of a beat. Underwood has put together a roster that can sustain such a massive impact.
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