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The season for the Illinois basketball team may have been forgettable in some ways, but there’s still plenty to be proud of. The Fighting Illini faced adversity throughout the year—dealing with injuries, illness, and other setbacks. Despite it all, they never gave up, catching fire at the end of the regular season.
Illinois was eliminated in the second round of the NCAA Tournament by a well-rounded Kentucky team. Since then, the Fighting Illini have lost four players to the transfer portal, but they also landed big man Zvonimir Ivisic, who will now play alongside his brother. Head coach Brad Underwood has worked to assure fans that the program remains strong following the season’s end.
“Our program is in great shape," Underwood said. "We've got great leadership and facilities. We've got the ability to keep getting players. We sell out every night. We got the best fan base out there. We came up short today, but we'll be back. We're not going anywhere.”
There’s still one big name that Underwood and his staff are pushing hard to land: Andrej Stojakovic. He is set to visit Illinois on Tuesday, and with recent developments out of Lexington, he may be on the verge of committing to the Fighting Illini.
“Barring any portal defections, Kentucky has ended its pursuits of all other portal targets, sources told CBS Sports. Getting Aberdeen today meant they've moved off Andrej Stojakovic, Rylen Griffen, etc. Otega Oweh going through pre-draft process—but I expect him back in Lex,” Matt Norlander posted.
Kentucky was seen as Illinois’ biggest competition for the former California forward, but with their roster now seemingly full, Underwood appears to be in a strong position to land a proven scorer. This would be a major pickup for the Illini.
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Stojakovic would be a great fit in Illinois’ offense, and with a talented guard like Kylan Boswell alongside him, the sky's the limit for what this potential duo could achieve.
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