Illinois basketball found a superstar in forward Andrej Stojakovic through the transfer portal prior to the 2025-26 season.
Stojakovic, son of NBA legend Peja Stojakovic, played his first two seasons of college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal and the California Golden Bears prior to arriving in Champaign to suit up for the Illini.
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The Carmichael, California, product quickly became a key piece of Brad Underwood’s rotation, especially with his ability to finish through contact when driving to the basket. Stojakovic set himself apart from the rest of the transfers across all of Illinois sports, to the point where he was rightfully named the school’s Male Newcomer of the Year.
It was a stellar start for Stojakovic in his first year with the program, as he ranked second on the team in scoring with 13.5 points per game, while shooting an astounding 50% from the field. The 6-foot-7 wing became a lethal force around the rim for Illinois, utilizing his size and strength to help him finish against similarly sized defenders.
Stojakovic didn’t stop there, however, as he became one of the brightest stars to compete in the 2026 NCAA tournament. The stellar junior put on a show off the bench for the Illini when he was on the court, highlighted by a 21-point performance vs. VCU and a 17-point outing against Iowa.
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Illinois will be very fortunate to have Andrej Stojakovic back for his senior season after the departure of Keaton Wagler
Last season, it was hard to find another transfer player at the University of Illinois who was as impactful to their program as Stojakovic was to the men’s basketball team. He quickly became the second option for Underwood in his junior year and will look to continue that success this upcoming season.
The Illini were able to capitalize on Stojakovic’s strengths last season, which helped elevate them to their first Final Four since 2005. He will still need to work on his outside shooting throughout the remainder of the offseason, especially after shooting a measly 24.4% from long range a year ago.
Expect the athletic senior to take on a great deal of the scoring while freshmen Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo find their form. Once that happens, Stojakovic should be a great compliment to their games, just like he was to Keaton Wagler.
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This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as Andrej Stojakovic earns Illinois honor in the competitive transfer portal era.
