The element of surprise has never ceased to exist during Brad Underwood’s tenure as the head coach of the Fighting Illini men’s basketball program. Fans have been treated to beautiful moments, including multiple seasons of utter domination in the Big Ten and an unprecedented run to the Elite Eight in 2024. However, fans have also been devastated by blowout losses to the Missouri Tigers, second-round upsets at the hands of Sister Jean, and even some gut-wrenching suspensions of star players. Brad Underwood has been the common scapegoat for these letdowns. He has faced continuous criticism for an overreliance on the transfer portal and a decrease in the recruitment of young talent. Clearly, these fans haven’t listened to the words of legend Rick Pitino, who believes that teams must adapt to the ever-changing reality of college basketball: “We went away from high school basketball players, although we have taken one or two to develop, but by and large we’ve gone after older players.”
Underwood’s approach to the upcoming season has certainly shifted the opinion of the Illini faithful. Not only has he properly utilized the transfer portal, but he has also considered the wishes of vocal (and arguably ungrateful) fans. He has introduced young, domestic talent to the program, including the likes of four-star Keaton Wagler, who has been a consistent starter for this new-and-improved squad. He has also begun a trend of recruiting developed, foreign talent. Just last season, Underwood brought in Kasparas Jakuciounis from Lithuania and Tomislav Ivisic from Croatia. These two players were pivotal in the Illini rotation, and Jakuciounis specifically was a mesmerizing talent. His unheard-of capabilities to handle and distribute the ball caught the attention of NBA management in Miami, as he was drafted 19th overall by the Heat in 2025. One could argue, however, that the foreign talent for this season is even more impressive than that of last season.
Underwood was able to obtain a further commitment from Tomislav Ivisic, who not only agreed to remain in Champaign but is expected to have a monster year. Tomislav was certainly involved in the recruitment of his twin brother, Zvonimir Ivisic, who entered the transfer portal for the second time after underwhelming performances at both Kentucky and Arkansas. This addition places two 7-footers in Underwood’s pocket, and it is safe to say he will utilize them intelligently. Underwood made arguably the most necessary and impressive addition to the Illini roster through the transfer portal as well. Andrej Stojakovic, the Serbian-Greek son of NBA legend Peja Stojakovic, is an intriguing guard who has played at both Stanford and California. Stojakovic has had a respectable career, as he averaged 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game at Stanford, and 17.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game at California. Lastly, Underwood recruited two promising young men from Europe. David Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 forward from Niksic, Montenegro, is off to a hot start in his debut season. His bulky stature, composure and immense confidence have allowed him to dominate opponents. Mihailo Petrovic (though we have yet to see a performance from him) is a shifty 6-foot-2 guard from Serbia and has shown veteran-like characteristics in his highlights from the Adriatic League.
The results of Brad Underwood’s recruitment could potentially result in this starting lineup:
PG: Mihailo Petrovic
SG: Andrej Stojakovic
SF: David Mirkovic
PF: Zvonimir Ivisic
C: Tomislav Ivisic
Try saying any of those names five times fast! Is this college basketball or the EuroLeague All-Star Team? It is safe to say that we have never seen something quite like this in the world of collegiate basketball. Many avid fans have coined this lineup the “Balkan Bloc” and look forward to seeing if the European game will translate to a league with a notoriously different style.
