Illinois basketball will get an assist from NBA Draft Combine with Andrej Stojakovic

The Illinois basketball team is in a bit of limbo right now with the roster, as Andrej Stojakovic is coming back to the program, but he is also entering the NBA Draft.

Stojakovic’s decision a few days ago was a little surprising, considering he had released a video saying he was back with the Illini. Just days later, the news broke that he was testing the NBA waters while keeping his eligibility.

When it comes down to it, I think this was a smart decision by Stojakovic, but I wish it had happened in the reverse order. Declare for the draft, let us know he would come back if he backs out of the draft, and then go through the process. But nonetheless, this will give Stojakovic some much-needed feedback from NBA scouts.

On Friday, the list of the 73 players who are invited to the NBA Draft Combine was released. Three Illinois players will be competing for NBA scouts’ attention. Keaton Wagler is obviously going to be there. Kylan Boswell also got the invite. The final Illini player to get his NBA Combine shot is Stojakovic.

At first, I was thinking oh shoot, this might mean he could stay in the NBA Draft process. But obviously, he is going to get an invite, as he is one of the best 73 players entering the draft. The following thought about Stojakovic getting the invite is that this could end up being good for Illinois.

The NBA Draft Combine is a place where scouts get to evaluate you as a player. It is the underwear Olympics, as they get to measure you from head to toe. What is also going to happen is that Stojakovic will have to do something that he isn’t very good at.

Shoot the basketball.

Stojakovic is going to have to shoot off the dribble and spot-up from two-point range. I think he will be decent at those drills. I always liked his ability to get buckets in the paint. What I think will kill Stojakovic is the three-point shooting drills.

The NBA will test players from multiple three-point spots on the court. Stojakovic has never been good at shooting from three-point range, and his numbers continue to decrease over the years. He shot 32.7% at Stanford, 31.8% at Cal, and then he dropped down to 24.4% last season at Illinois.

I think there are a lot of people who will see the last name Stojakovic and think shooter. That isn’t this Stojakovic, though. He is a slasher. And for that, I think the NBA Draft Combine will expose the inability to consistently make three-pointers. That will likely assist Illinois in getting Stojakovic back in the Orange and Blue for his final season in the college ranks.

Andrej Stojakovic will still be in the NBA after one final season with the Illinois basketball program

Even if Stojakovic doesn’t impress NBA scouts this time around, that doesn’t mean his NBA dreams are done. This kid will get to The Association in the near future.

I think what will end up happening is that Stojakovic will get told that his shooting needs improvement. He has great physical talent, and his ability to drive is great, but he needs to work on creating his own shot, defense, and three-point shooting.

One final season at Illinois can help in all of those categories. Remember, not a lot of transfer portal additions excel in year one under the Brad Underwood regime. It is always year two when transfer portal players blossom.

Toward the end of the 2025-26 season, Stojakovic’s defense was already starting to improve. He can work on his shot and shot creation in the offseason. I am not going to say if because I think it is when Stojakovic comes back for his second season at Illinois, it is going to be one of the best decisions of his life. Stojakovic is about to have a big senior year, and my guess is that it will boost him up into the first round status of the 2027 NBA Draft.

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