Skip to main content
Join Now

Report: Illinois star Andrej Stojakovic enters 2026 NBA Draft, leaves option open to return to Fighting Illini

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs04/26/26grant_grubbs_

On April 17, Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic announced his plans to return for the 2026-27 season. However, on Sunday, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported that Stojakovic entered the 2026 NBA Draft, while maintaining his collegiate eligibility.

Stojakovic will be able to go through the pre-draft process and gauge NBA teams’ interest before making the final decision on his plans for next year. Stojakovic transferred to Illinois last offseason. He made 33 appearances and 21 starts in his debut campaign for the Fighting Illini.

Stojakovic averaged 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 50.0% from the field and 24.4% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-7 standout was pivotal in Illinois’ postseason run to the Final Four.

He scored double figures in three of Illinois’ five NCAA Tournament games. Stojakovic recorded nine points and eight rebounds in the Fighting Illini’s season-ending loss to UConn. For his efforts, he was named a member of the NCAA Tournament All-South Region Team.

Despite Stojakovic’s spectacular performances during March Madness, he isn’t expected to be a draft pick. In his latest NBA Draft Big Board, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo excluded Stojakovic from his top 100 prospects.

If Stojakovic opts to return to Illinois, the Fighting Illini will preseason favorites to win the national title next year. After all, the team is returning six of its top nine scorers, including David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood will be excited to run it back with the talented core.

“This team, like I said, gave me joy because they were about all the right things,” Underwood said after Illinois’ loss in the Final Four. “If you want to put a contest together about good human beings, we’ll win. There’s no question what this group will be in life. As a coach, that’s why I got in this. Am I competitive? Does today stink? It hurts. My gut hurts so bad right now that I feel for all of them.

“But I’m also excited about the joy that we brought a lot of people in this run. We’ve got Illinois back to a level that they’re in Final Fours again, and my God, as long as I’m the ball coach, I’d better not take 21 damned years to get back there.”

To maintain his eligibility, Andrej Stojakovic must withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft before May 28. The NBA Draft will take place on June 23.