Through Oct. 31, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason college basketball Top 25 with overviews of each team. Here are the full rankings so far.
No school has invested more resources into recruiting internationally than Illinois, and that work has paid off in building a really impressive roster with talent from across Europe. Half of Illinois’s projected eight-man rotation played professionally overseas (all, coincidentally, in the Adriatic League) before enrolling in Champaign, Ill. This experiment in modern roster-building will be tracked closely throughout the sport.
With all the hype about the Illini newcomers though, it’s easy to forget they return two all-conference-level players in Kylan Boswell and Tomislav Ivisic. Boswell, a career 38% three-point shooter at Arizona, shot a miserable 25% at Illinois last season. In spite of that, he was still a huge piece, blossoming into one of the best defenders in the country and improving as a finisher around the rim. If his shot bounces back, he could sneak into the All-American conversation. Meanwhile, sources inside the program have raved about the summer and fall Ivisic has had. The 7-footer is a tough cover because of his ability to stretch the floor, and the fact he averaged 13 points and nearly eight rebounds despite battling mono midway through the season tells you what his ceiling could be with a healthy second year. That nucleus, plus the pieces added, gives this group one of the highest ceilings in the Big Ten.
Projected Starting Lineup
PG: Mihailo Petrovic
SG: Kylan Boswell
SF: Andrej Stojakovic
PF: David Mirkovic
C: Tomislav Ivisic
Key Reserves: G Keaton Wagler, F Ben Humrichous, F/C Zvonimir Ivisic
Key Additions
Mihailo Petrovic was a legitimate MVP candidate in the Adriatic League last season. The 22-year-old Serbian is crafty in ball screens and plays a style that should translate well to the American game. Illinois doesn’t need him to be the star, but desperately needed another capable ballhandler to pair with Boswell and got one with tons of experience.
David Mirkovic will be an early factor in the frontcourt. Another Adriatic League product, Mirkovic is a funky player at 6' 9" with a thick frame and high feel. He’ll compete with returner Ben Humrichous at power forward, though Illinois could also elect to go big and pair Ivisic with his twin brother Zvonimir Ivisic, a transfer from Arkansas with elite tools who has yet to ever fully put things together. He’s an x-factor for his ability to block shots and space the floor, but gives a lot back defensively due to his lack of physicality.
The biggest add, however, came via the portal. Illinois is betting big on Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic to be a star on the wing. The son of longtime NBA standout Peja Stojakovic, Andrej is a more traditional pure scorer and slasher than his sharpshooter father. Improving his efficiency is a must, though he should look better with more talent around him.
And don’t sleep on freshman Keaton Wagler; excitement about him is sky-high internally. He’s a big guard at 6' 6" with playmaking pop and an NBA ceiling if he puts it all together.
Causes for Concern
This was already not a super deep group on paper before Ty Rodgers went down with a serious knee injury this summer. Rodgers is extremely versatile and would have plugged multiple holes on the Illini bench. His time frame for a return is unknown, but he could miss the entire season. Stojakovic is dealing with a more minor knee issue that shouldn’t cause him to miss the start of the season, but is a concerning thing to monitor regardless.
Defense had been a hallmark under Brad Underwood, but the Illini have not been great on that end of late. New assistant Camryn Crocker is taking on the assignment, and the plan is to be more aggressive on that end after ranking in the bottom five nationally in forcing turnovers a year ago.
The Bottom Line
This year’s Illini team doesn’t have as much NBA talent as last year’s, but they’re older and more proven across the board. If Stojakovic is as advertised along with a jump from Ivisic, this Illinois team will be incredibly hard to guard. It’s going to be tough for anyone to catch Purdue, but Illinois is built to score with just about anyone.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Sports Illustrated’s Men’s College Basketball Preseason Top 25: No. 15 Illinois.