There was a time Brad Underwood was known for his struggles to bring back some of his best eligible talent. The institution of the transfer portal marked the start of what had been an annual mass exodus of Illini. But the traffic went two ways, with Underwood landing his fair share of impressive finds via the portal.
Terrence Shannon Jr., a Texas Tech transfer, almost single-handedly willed Illinois to a Big Ten Tournament title and Elite Eight appearance in 2024. That came in his second year in Champaign.
In that season, Shannon’s shooting efficiency across the board – from three-point range, inside the arc and the free-throw line – increased. His scoring leapt by nearly six points per game. That Year 2 jump has quickly become a trend for Illini transfers.
Even Ben Humrichous, a role player who saw his raw averages decline in his second go-round at Illinois, made massive strides in his game (most notably on the defensive end).
So is Andrej Stojakovic, a Cal transfer entering Year 2 in Champaign, poised for a similar step forward in 2026-27? Here is Underwood’s take:
“There’s one thing that has been very consistent in our program,” Underwood said. “The second year has always been better. And the one thing I’ve seen with Drej is just a different confidence. And his body looks completely different.
“It’s funny. We had a guy in practice yesterday that had seen him when he was at Stanford, been around him a lot. And he just didn’t recognize his body. And there’s a confidence that comes with that. And there’s a confidence that comes with the understanding of knowing what you’re doing and what’s expected.
“I think last year there was an uncertainty at this time of year what the expectation was. And so I think his mental approach has been terrific. He’s working his tail off. He’s setting an example as a leader with his effort every day. That is very, very contagious. And I’m excited for the type of year he can have.”
Last year, Stojakovic averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds on 50.0 percent from the field. The target areas for growth heading into 2026-27: three-point efficiency, defense and rebounding.
He was wildly efficient inside the arc (58.3 percent on two-pointers) but shot a career-low 24.4 percent from beyond it. The Illini need that number to at least creep up, as it will make Stojakovic’s life easier as a rim attacker, not to mention help the team’s spacing as a whole.
Defensively, Stojakovic was very effective at times. And with the right matchup, he could even be superb. But given his physical traits – plus size, athleticism and length – Stojakovic should be a positionless, highly effective defender capable of thriving in the vast majority of matchups. The Illini are looking for their next lockdown perimeter defender, and Stojakovic should be putting himself at the top of that list.
As a rebounder, Stojakovic just needs to be more active. His 1.3 offensive rebounds per game last year was a career best, but he can be even better. On the defensive glass, he was mostly sound, but there’s always room for improvement.
If he makes strides in each of those areas, an All-Big Ten campaign is the baseline for Stojakovic. The ceiling? Maybe All-American status. Above all else, the Illini would see their floor elevated, and the goal of a national title would be within arm’s reach.
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