We’re going team-by-team across Big Ten men’s basketball to assess where everyone stands and how things could shake out in 2026-27.
We kick off our series with Illinois, which is coming off its first Final Four appearance in 21 years. Brad Underwood has led the Fighting Illini to six straight NCAA Tournaments, with wins in five of those postseasons. They’ve captured one Big Ten regular-season title under Underwood, along with two conference tournament championships. Illinois looks positioned to contend once again.
WHO’S GONE:
- Keaton Wagler (17.9 PPG) (entered NBA Draft)
- Kylan Boswell (12.3 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Ben Humrichous (5.8 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Brandon Lee (1.7 PPG) (transfer — JMU)
- Mihailo Petrovic (1.6 PPG) (transfer — uncommitted)
- Ty Rodgers (redshirt) (transfer — Boise State)
- Toni Bilic (redshirt) (transfer — uncommitted)
WHO’S BACK:
- David Mirkovic, sophomore, F (13.6 PPG)
- Andrej Stojakovic, senior, G (13.5 PPG)
- Tomislav Ivisic, senior, C (10.2 PPG)
- Zvonimir Ivisic, senior, F (6.4 PPG)
- Jake Davis, senior, F (5.6 PPG)
- Jason Jakstys, redshirt sophomore, C (1.3 PPG)
- Blake Fagbemi, sophomore, G (0.2 PPG)
WHO’S NEW:
Transfer portal
- Stefan Vaaks, sophomore, G (15.8 PPG at Providence)
Freshmen (Rankings from 247Sports)
- Quentin Coleman, G (five-star, No. 13)
- Lucas Morillo, G (four-star, No. 52)
- Zavier Zens, F (four-star, No. 125)
- Landon Davis, F (three-star, unranked)
- Ethan Brown, G (three-star, No. 170)
RETURNING MINUTES: 57.3 percent (per barttorvik.com) (third-most in the Big Ten, 23rd in the country)
Why it will work
Illinois loses key pieces in Boswell and Wagler, but Underwood still returns three starters and one more rotation player. Stojakovic opting to go back to Illinois after testing the NBA Draft waters is a big boost for the program next season. Underwood also has a strong incoming freshman class, particularly in five-star Quentin Coleman. At least one player from that group — if not multiple — should be able to step in as immediate contributors. And Vaaks is a strong transfer portal addition who could step into Wagler’s departed role. The Illini look reloaded for another run in 2026-27.
Why it won’t
The Illini had one of the most efficient offenses in the country last season, ranking No. 2 in KenPom offensive efficiency rating. They’ve recorded strong numbers in that area for the last several years, but regression is always possible. Additionally, in 2024 and 2025, Illinois paired a good but not great defense with its strong offense. That improved in 2026, as the team finished 20th in KenPom’s defensive efficiency rating. If the defense falls off next season, the offense will be left with less margin for error.
The other potential pitfall for Illinois is health. The Illini played a tight rotation last season, mainly keeping it to seven throughout the year. Stojakovic and Boswell missed some time and they got through it, but keeping a thin rotation could always lead to depth concerns. If UI has worse injury luck next season than it did this past year, it could be problematic.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- Find us on Instagram, X, and Facebook
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
