Who Will Earn Illinois Basketball’s Final Rotation Spot in 2026-27?

In last season’s Sweet 16, Elite Eight and Final Four, only eight players ever saw the floor for Illinois. In the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the number of Illini who saw more than five minutes of action in either contest – Illinois advanced to the Round of 32 – was seven. Brad Underwood runs a tight postseason ship.

In 2026-27, the Illini appear poised to have their deepest rotation in years, but that isn’t likely to change the on-court arithmetic. By the time the new year rolls around, Underwood will likely have again whittled his rotation down to no more than eight players.

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And with Illinois’ current top seven all but cemented – in no particular order: Quentin Coleman, Stefan Vaaks, Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic and Jake Davis – there may be just one spot up for grabs. (This assumes, of course, that Mirkovic will return by the regular season.)

Ranking Illinois’ top candidates for the eighth-man role

Dec 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Jason Jakstys (31) Southern University Jaguars forward Ashton Magee (24) and Illinois Fighting Illini forward Ben Humrichhous (3) battle for a rebound Iduring the second half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No. 5: Jason Jakstys

Will the Illini need additional frontcourt depth? If Mirkovic is back in action for the opener, then it’s unlikely. In that scenario, Illinois would likely shuffle between combinations of Mirkovic and the Ivisic twins, while bumping Stojakovic (or a different wing) to the 4 on occasion. Jason Jakstys (or Landon Davis) may still get spot minutes but not true rotational tick.

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No. 4: Lincoln Williams

Projecting as a small forward, Lincoln Williams is going to be competing with Stojakovic and Jake Davis for most of his minutes. It seems likely that one of those two veterans will be on the floor at all times, which means the uber-athletic Williams may see action only in a…

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Publish date : 2026-08-12 22:18:00

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