Prediction submitted for Illinois basketball to land a massive transfer portal wing

The Illinois basketball team has done a great job piecing together a roster that took some hits early on in the offseason.

Brad Underwood, even with him being a part of the old guard, is taking the transfer portal in stride. He isn’t running and hiding like some of the more experienced coaches. The additions this offseason have been great for the program, and the Illini might be in line for another huge addition in the coming days.

On Wednesday afternoon, Joe Tipton of On3.com submitted a prediction on where Cal transfer portal small forward Andrej Stojakovic would land. Where did Tipton project Stojakovic to land?

Illinois.

Right now, Tipton’s confidence level is 60%, but he has been one of the best insiders in the game for years. If Tipton is willing to put in a prediction for Stojakovic, I take that very seriously.

Illinois basketball landing Andrej Stojakovic in the transfer portal would be a game-changer for the program

The numbers alone for Stojakovic are impressive. He averaged 17.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks per game in 29 contests this past season with Cal. His three-point percentage of 31.8% is not nearly where I want it to be, given his last name, but this kid can score at multiple levels on the floor.

Stojakovic is a four-star transfer portal small forward who is the No. 35 player in the transfer portal right now. He would give Illinois someone who can bang around in the paint and score around the hoop. He can also stretch the floor and hit from mid-range and from distance. His ability to space the floor will be great for the other Illini teammates, too.

I think Stojakovic is one of the missing pieces to an Illinois team that could go far next March. The experience we have coming back, and the key pieces that could be added, should make for an interesting 2025-26 campaign. The only question that would remain would be, who starts for this experienced squad? Hmm.