No. 5 Center
Starter: Morez Johnson Jr. (SO)
There are great players who have come through the Illinois basketball program. When his time in Champaign is done, I think Morez Johnson Jr. could end up being one of those legendary talents.
Johnson isn’t projected to go in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he has great big-man ability and can do some damage on the offensive end of the court. Johnson is a freak athlete who is a bit undersized height-wise, but he makes up for it with great length and defensive prowess. I believe Johnson will start every season he is in Champaign.
Backup: Tomislav Ivisic (SO)
A wildcard for the Illinois basketball program is Tomislav Ivisic. He is a big man from Croatia who finished as the No. 93 player in the class of 2024. Illinois was able to land Ivisic, and I think he is going to be a great one-two punch with Johnson starting this season.
I have Ivisic as the primary backup at the No. 5 spot in 2025-26 as well. He is someone who will still get 20 or more minutes despite being a backup. I see Ivisic not only spelling minutes for Johnson but he and Johnson could be on the court at the same time. Illinois has a great frontcourt, and it is going to be must-watch television.