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Illinois basketball guard Andrej Stojakovic announced in April that he’d be returning to the Illini. That enthralled the fan base.
One of the best offensive playmakers in college basketball would be wearing orange and blue after helping the team to its first Final Four appearance in 21 years.
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Then, he also declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. This means Stojakovic has a decision to make come May 27: To stay in the draft or to stay at Illinois?
That is the question. Stojakovic weighed the decision at the 2026 NBA Combine in Chicago on Wednesday.
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Stojakovic’s decision to enter the 2026 NBA Draft wasn’t unsurprising. College basketball stars have the opportunity to enter the draft and receive an evaluation of their skill sets, then withdraw to return for their final year of eligibility.
Some players leave the draft if the evaluators say there’s a chance they’ll go undrafted. Then, they can work on their skills in their final year of college basketball with the NBA evaluation in mind.
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With that evaluation in mind, Stojakovic is completely focused on the draft.
“I’m in the draft with both feet in right now,” Stojakovic said. “I’ve been getting great feedback so far.”
It makes sense why Stojakovic would enter the draft process. He provided instant offense for the Illini in the NCAA Tournament. He scored 21 in the Second Round win over VCU and 17 in the Elite Eight win over Iowa. His dad, Peja Stojaković, also played in the NBA for over a decade.
Stojakovic transferred to Illinois from Cal-Berkley, and averaged 13.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game in his first year in Champaign. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in February that sidelined him for a couple of games, and that’s when star freshman Keaton Wagler took the starting job and ran with it.
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Still, Stojakovic never blinked at coming off the bench. His offensive production there was a big reason why Illinois made it to the Final Four.
That’s why he’s on the NBA radar now. The…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/andrej-stojakovic-return-illinois-stay-200659572.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-13 20:06:00
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