Illinois basketball returns five rotation players from a team that reached the Final Four last season. Could they make it back in 2027?
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Illinois basketball.
Brad Underwood has slowly built Illinois basketball into a premier program in the Big Ten. Since getting the job in 2017, Underwood has now rattled off six straight NCAA Tournament bids, with an Elite 8 run coming in 2024, and the program’s first Final Four in over 20 years, coming in 2026.
A big part of Underwood’s success has been having true stars. From Ayo Dosunmu to Kofi Cockburn, Illinois has been blessed with All-American caliber players. Now, he’s a master at recruiting international phenoms. David Mirkovic and the Ivisic brothers are the top example of that, and the three of them will look to dominate as the Big Ten’s best frontcourt yet again.
Jake Davis and Andrej Stojakovic are also back, giving the Illini as good of a returning bunch as any team in the country. Add in Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks to the mix, and it’s an elite group that will look to be at the top of the Big Ten.
But the hype really comes from a six-man freshman class ranked just outside the top 10 according to 247Sports. Quentin Coleman was the biggest prize, as a five-star guard who is expected to be a starter on day one. Lucas Morillo and Zavier Zens are two of the other top freshmen coming in, and the entire class can be seen below in the lineup projection.
No matter who plays and who earns what role, incoming freshmen will have to play important parts along with the rest of the veterans who return, or in Vaaks’ case, join a talented group. No matter how you look at this roster, it’s one that could realistically make it back to the Final Four.
Head coach: Brad Underwood (14th season overall, 10th at Illinois)
2025-26 record: 28-9 (15-5)
2026 postseason finish: Lost to UConn (71-62) in Final Four of NCAA Tournament
Notable departures:
- Keaton Wagler (17.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 4.2 APG, 39.7 3P%)
- Kylan Boswell (12.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.0 APG)
- Ben Humrichous (5.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 0.8 APG, 36.1 3P%)
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Penn (Nov. 5)
- at Texas Tech (Nov. 10)
- at Duke (Nov. 17)
- vs. UConn (Dec. 4) – Chicago, IL
- vs. Missouri (Dec. 20) – Saint Louis, MO
- vs. North Carolina (Jan. 30) – Nashville, TN
Projected Rotation
PG: Quentin Coleman (6-4, 180, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 18 ranked recruit
SG: Stefan Vaaks (6-7, 215, So.)
2025-26 stats: 15.8 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 3.2 APG, 35.0 3P% (Providence)
SF: Andrej Stojakovic (6-7, 205, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 50.0 FG%
PF: David Mirkovic (6-9, 250, So.)
2025-26 stats: 13.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.6 APG, 37.5 3P%
C: Tomislav Ivisic (7-1, 270, Gr.-Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 10.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.6 APG
6: Jake Davis (6-6, 210, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 5.4 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 0.7 APG, 40.6 3P%
7: Zvonimir Ivisic (7-2, 250, Gr.-Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 6.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 0.3 APG, 1.9 BPG, 50.9 FG%
8: Lucas Morillo (6-7, 210, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 52 ranked recruit
9: Zavier Zens (6-7, 215, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 152 ranked recruit
10: Lincoln Williams (6-5, 180, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 216 ranked recruit
11: Ethan Brown (6-4, 185, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 226 ranked recruit
12: Landon Davis (6-9, 220, Fr.)
247Sports Composite No. 263 ranked recruit
Illinois basketball team MVP: David Mirkovic
There are a lot of talented players on this Illinois basketball roster, but none are as complete as the rising sophomore, David Mirkovic.
A native of Montenegro, Mirkovic starred alongside fellow freshman Keaton Wagler last season, but chose not to move on to the NBA and instead return for one more year in Champaign.
When it comes down to it, Mirkovic is an NBA-skilled player. He’s a forward who can hit the three, put the ball on the deck, and has an international flair when he’s got the ball. He’s a handful to guard at multiple spots on the floor, and is easily a top 25 player in the country – and probably closer to number one than at the bottom of that list.
Illinois basketball make-or-break player: Stefan Vaaks
Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks are expected to share the dynamic guard role for Illinois, which lost both Wagler and Kylan Boswell last season. Those two held it down great last year, and now Wagler is out for another freshman, and Boswell is out for a transfer sophomore.
But I’ll put the pressure on Vaaks, who, unlike Coleman, does have one year of college hoops under his belt. Illinois is as experienced as it gets in the frontcourt and on the wing, but having two new guards – neither being upperclassmen – has to be a bit nerve-wracking for coach Underwood. However, Vaaks showed a lot for the Friars last season, delivering as a scorer, three-point shooter, and playmaker. Those are great traits to have when coming into a new situation where you’re all of a sudden the lead and experienced guard on the team.
Key statistic: Rebounds per game
Offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, all types of rebounds. It’s exactly what allows Illinois to be such a dominant team. Second-chance points are created, defensive stops are won, and few teams can match up with a pair of strong 7-footers, Mirkovic, and plenty of wings who have height advantages. 6-7 Stojakovic, 6-7 Morillo, 6-7 Zens, and 6-9 Landon Davis all add height and rebounding to a team that’s already got a lot of it in the starting five and Zvonimir Ivisic off the bench.
Basically, good luck trying to win the rebounding war against the Illini.
Illinois basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 1st in the Big Ten
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament National Champions