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‘Tis the season for words like “bag” and “speed dating” in reference to college hoops portal activity.
The Illini are always an ever-present force in Portal Kombat. Whether it’s their most notorious misses (RayJ Dennis, AJ Storr, Josh Dix) or their most glorious hits (Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, Andrej Stojakovic), Illinois is a major factor in college basketball’s version of free agency every year.
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Yes, retention is the most important factor.
Bringing back Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, David Mirkovic, and Jake Davis is the priority.
And of course, making a Final Four run changes the calculus specifically.
It raises the program’s national profile. More eyes are on Illinois than ever before.
It likely increased donor desire to pony up to keep the deep tournament runs going (more on that later).
It is proof of concept for Brad and Tyler Underwood’s system. As if they needed it, having an historically elite offensive efficiency is an appealing place to land.
After the 2023-24 Elite Eight run, Illinois stepped up to the adult table in terms of college hoops spending. The departures of players like Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask, and Coleman Hawkins didn’t lessen expectations.
The rebuild was emboldened. The return of Orlando Antigua brought the immediate arrivals of Will Riley and Tomislav Ivisic. And the Antigua/Geoff Alexander international men of mystery duo brought Kasparas Jakucionis.
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That 2024-25 squad was viewed by many (yours truly included) as the most talented team of the Underwood era. While that team suffered a disappointing round-of-32 exit, they upped the ante on Illinois’ talent acquisition infrastructure. A five-star prep prospect and an elite international guard symbolized the tremendous upside of not only the roster but the philosophy.
For the 2025-26 season, Illinois didn’t rely as heavily on the portal. They focused on international players (David Mirkovic and Mihailo Petrovic) and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/10-players-could-help-illinois-030707160.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-11 03:07:00
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