It was an exciting 2025 NBA Draft, as the Illinois basketball program had two players taken in the first round.
Despite Kasparas Jakucionis dropping further than most had expected, it was a blessing in disguise. Picked at No. 20, the star Illini guard gets to go to a stable franchise in the Miami Heat, which will use him the right way.
Right after Jakucionis was picked, Will Riley then went off the board at No. 21. Originally a pick by the Utah Jazz, Riley was then traded to the worst spot you could possibly go in the Washington Wizards. Riley will be able to navigate the choppy waters and may help that franchise get on its feet.
Having multiple picks in the 2025 NBA Draft was fun to watch. That was the first time that had happened since 2006 when Dee Brown and James Augustine were picked.
But who is next?
That is a question I immediately asked myself when the draft ended. What Illinois basketball players are going to be next in line to make it in the NBA?
On Friday, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN released somewhat of a 2026 NBA Mock Draft. They scoped out who could be the top 60 options for next year’s draft, and they gave a little write-up about the top 10.
The No. 1 overall pick went to, you guessed it, the Washington Wizards. They are terrible. The ESPN duo has them taking Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson.
Illinois doesn’t have a projected first-round pick, as of yet. The first Illini player going off the board is at pick No. 45, which is midway through the second round. They have Andrej Stojakvoic in this slot.
Not too far behind, at pick No. 48, Tomislav Ivisic goes off the board. And to round out the top 60, at No. 60, his brother Zvonimir Ivisic is selected.
If you are counting at home, that is three Illinois basketball players projected to be taken in the 2026 NBA Draft. Illinois has had two players picked in the NBA Draft four different times since the turn of the century, but not three players selected. You have to go back to the 1990 NBA Draft to find the last time that happened. Stephen Bardo, Kendall Gill, and Marcus Liberty were all taken in the 1990 NBA Draft.
Illinois basketball could have a couple of other sneaky 2026 NBA Draft options in the wings
I believe all three players mentioned in the top 60 could legitimately be picked in the 2026 NBA Draft. I honestly believe Tomislav should be higher. With his size, defensive abilities, and three-point shooting, it wouldn’t shock me to see him sneak into the first round.
Illinois also has a couple of other sneaky options I could see jumping into the draft. I’m not discounting Kylan Boswell and his abilities. He averaged 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game in his first season with the Illini.
There are a couple of things I think Boswell needs to improve on to get to that NBA level, though. His three-point shooting was awful. At 24.5%, the NBA isn’t going to even look at you. The second thing is decision-making. There were times last season when Boswell settled for shots. If he continues to be aggressive and use his big body to drive the basketball, then he is going to catch some eyes.
I wouldn’t sleep on the potential of Mihailo Petrovic getting picked in the 2026 NBA Draft either. While he isn’t officially a member of the Illini just yet, as Jeremy Werner reported a couple of weeks ago, Petrovic is in the process of getting over to the states and getting into Illinois.
Petrovic is a talented guard and a great ball distributor. He averaged 14.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 2.8 rebounds in 28.1 minutes of action last season overseas. That type of court vision will get noticed by NBA scouts.