2 months ago
Aug. 2—Zvonimir Ivisic is considered the more defensive minded of Illinois' twin centers. For a reason. The 7-foot-2 Croatian averaged a team-high 1.9 blocks last season, and his block percentage ranked fourth nationally, per Bart Torvik, behind only Virginia's Ugonna Onyenso, Seton Hall's Najai Hines and Charleston's Chol Machot.
That's not to say Tomislav Ivisic didn't contribute defensively. The 7-1 center was certainly more of an offensive threat and his defensive rating went down from his first season in Champaign, but he still came out on the positive side of plus/minus at the defensive end of the court for the season.
Ratcheting up his defensive versatility has been an offseason goal for Tomislav Ivisic. It's arguably his primary goal.
"I want to be a better defender," he said. "To be able to hope (defensive coordinator Camryn Crocker) have more variety on the defensive end. If he thinks maybe for one game it would be best to switch, and if I'm not ready to switch, then we can't play switch. I'm trying to be a better defender on that end.
"That all starts with small details like having hip mobility, hamstring and quad stretch, a little bit of balance. Small stuff that we do every day and that we've been working on since the season was over. I definitely feel improvement there. I also gained some weight. Which should slow me down, but that's why we work on extra stuff to not slow me down and improve my mobility and agility."
#ivisic #down #defender
That's not to say Tomislav Ivisic didn't contribute defensively. The 7-1 center was certainly more of an offensive threat and his defensive rating went down from his first season in Champaign, but he still came out on the positive side of plus/minus at the defensive end of the court for the season.
Ratcheting up his defensive versatility has been an offseason goal for Tomislav Ivisic. It's arguably his primary goal.
"I want to be a better defender," he said. "To be able to hope (defensive coordinator Camryn Crocker) have more variety on the defensive end. If he thinks maybe for one game it would be best to switch, and if I'm not ready to switch, then we can't play switch. I'm trying to be a better defender on that end.
"That all starts with small details like having hip mobility, hamstring and quad stretch, a little bit of balance. Small stuff that we do every day and that we've been working on since the season was over. I definitely feel improvement there. I also gained some weight. Which should slow me down, but that's why we work on extra stuff to not slow me down and improve my mobility and agility."
#ivisic #down #defender
2 months ago
Jul. 14—Illinois generated plenty of headline-makers, with multiple Illini teams finding both regular season and postseason success. Beat writer Scott Richey spotlights the 10 most publicized Illini during the 2025-26 school year:
The first mentions of Wagler came via summer buzz out of Ubben Basketball Complex a year ago and then grew exponentially as he put together the best single season by an Illinois freshman in program history. There was a lot to document, including a 46-point game during the Illini's win at Purdue, his slew of individual awards and honors and, ultimately, the end of his one-and-done Illinois career as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
How Illinois built its roster ahead of the 2025-26 season became a national story. With Tomislav Ivisic already in the fold, the Illini quadrupled down adding his twin brother, Zvonimir, David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic and Mihailo Petrovic. The Illinois staff invaded the Balkans and came away with four key players for a 28-win team. Unfortunately, all five never played together at any point during the season, with Petrovic not in the rotation.
One of the first items Bret Bielema said heading into training camp of his first season at Illinois was his quarterback would be front and center. An important voice and a face of the program. While that didn't exactly hold true with Brandon Peters during that 2021 season, Altmyer's role in Champaign fit the bill for three straight seasons. Especially last year when he eschewed a major payday from Tennessee to stick with the Illini for his final season.
Underwood was the first hire of what's become Illinois' Big Three coaches. It took a couple years to start paying off, but the way Underwood has turned the Illini into a consistent Big Ten contender now elevated to a national stage was exactly what a "basketball school" like Illinois needed. Underwood is still chasing that elusive national championship, but his team's success has kept the program in the headlines both locally, of course, but more nationally.
The first mentions of Wagler came via summer buzz out of Ubben Basketball Complex a year ago and then grew exponentially as he put together the best single season by an Illinois freshman in program history. There was a lot to document, including a 46-point game during the Illini's win at Purdue, his slew of individual awards and honors and, ultimately, the end of his one-and-done Illinois career as the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
How Illinois built its roster ahead of the 2025-26 season became a national story. With Tomislav Ivisic already in the fold, the Illini quadrupled down adding his twin brother, Zvonimir, David Mirkovic, Andrej Stojakovic and Mihailo Petrovic. The Illinois staff invaded the Balkans and came away with four key players for a 28-win team. Unfortunately, all five never played together at any point during the season, with Petrovic not in the rotation.
One of the first items Bret Bielema said heading into training camp of his first season at Illinois was his quarterback would be front and center. An important voice and a face of the program. While that didn't exactly hold true with Brandon Peters during that 2021 season, Altmyer's role in Champaign fit the bill for three straight seasons. Especially last year when he eschewed a major payday from Tennessee to stick with the Illini for his final season.
Underwood was the first hire of what's become Illinois' Big Three coaches. It took a couple years to start paying off, but the way Underwood has turned the Illini into a consistent Big Ten contender now elevated to a national stage was exactly what a "basketball school" like Illinois needed. Underwood is still chasing that elusive national championship, but his team's success has kept the program in the headlines both locally, of course, but more nationally.
3 months ago
Jul. 6—The eligibility changes recently implemented by the NCAA could have real effect on the 2027-28 Illinois basketball roster. Jake Davis and Andrej Stojakovic would be eligible to return to the Illini for a fifth season. Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, by virtue of their Aug. 9, 2003, birthday, would not. Their five-year window, applied retroactively, ends with the conclusion of the coming 2026-27 season.
Expanded eligibility, of course, isn't the only variable Brad Underwood and Co. will have to face next season. Several other players — namely David Mirkovic, Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks — have various levels of draft buzz basically a year out from the 2027 NBA Draft.
"I think we always set out in recruiting to recruit every position," Underwood said. "We've gotten to the point we don't know if guys are going to go in the draft, if guys are going to transfer. I think there's an expectation you need every spot. You have to have the ability to pivot a little bit, as we did this year with a lot of guys back — especially frontcout depth — and we went the high school route and getting guys to be in our program, established in our program and develop.
"We know we've got guys who could potentially come back (in 2027-28), but we also know we've got guys who could be in the draft. It's a nice spot to be in because you've got good players, but it's challenging and you've just got to be prepared and recruit kids at every spot to try to fill every need."
Illinois has a pair of commitments in the Class of 2027 from four-star Monarch Academy (Kan.) guard Quinton Kitt and four-star Neuqua Valley guard Mason Martin. Five-star Bolingbrook guard Brady Pettigrew is another in-state standout — and a potential reclass target — while the Illini have also offered five-star center Lewis Uvwo and other frontcourt options like five-star Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) forward Moussa Kamissoko and four-star Overtime Elite center Caleb Ourigou.
Expanded eligibility, of course, isn't the only variable Brad Underwood and Co. will have to face next season. Several other players — namely David Mirkovic, Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks — have various levels of draft buzz basically a year out from the 2027 NBA Draft.
"I think we always set out in recruiting to recruit every position," Underwood said. "We've gotten to the point we don't know if guys are going to go in the draft, if guys are going to transfer. I think there's an expectation you need every spot. You have to have the ability to pivot a little bit, as we did this year with a lot of guys back — especially frontcout depth — and we went the high school route and getting guys to be in our program, established in our program and develop.
"We know we've got guys who could potentially come back (in 2027-28), but we also know we've got guys who could be in the draft. It's a nice spot to be in because you've got good players, but it's challenging and you've just got to be prepared and recruit kids at every spot to try to fill every need."
Illinois has a pair of commitments in the Class of 2027 from four-star Monarch Academy (Kan.) guard Quinton Kitt and four-star Neuqua Valley guard Mason Martin. Five-star Bolingbrook guard Brady Pettigrew is another in-state standout — and a potential reclass target — while the Illini have also offered five-star center Lewis Uvwo and other frontcourt options like five-star Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) forward Moussa Kamissoko and four-star Overtime Elite center Caleb Ourigou.
3 months ago
It’s starting to feel like déjà vu.
For the third year in a row, Illinois season tickets have sold out. It only makes sense that fans are eager to see the Illini in action after a historic season. Illinois went on a run in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Final Four for the first time in over 20 years.
It’s also the third straight year Illinois earned a win in March Madness. While head coach Brad Underwood and his Illini lost a superstar in Keaton Wagler and a gritty veteran in Kylen Boswell, they also kept key contributors in David Mirković, Andrej Stojaković and the Ivišić twins.
Along with the returners, Illinois added freshman Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks from Providence. The Illini are projected to be a top team next season, and the fans obviously agree.
For the third year in a row, Illinois season tickets have sold out. It only makes sense that fans are eager to see the Illini in action after a historic season. Illinois went on a run in the NCAA Tournament and reached the Final Four for the first time in over 20 years.
It’s also the third straight year Illinois earned a win in March Madness. While head coach Brad Underwood and his Illini lost a superstar in Keaton Wagler and a gritty veteran in Kylen Boswell, they also kept key contributors in David Mirković, Andrej Stojaković and the Ivišić twins.
Along with the returners, Illinois added freshman Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks from Providence. The Illini are projected to be a top team next season, and the fans obviously agree.
