Stojakovic’s boy, desired transfer, selects Illinois

Jeff Borzello Close Jeff Borzello ESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting expert. Signed up with ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Jonathan Givony Close Jonathan Givony ESPN NBA draft analyst and writer Joined ESPN.com in July 2017 Creator and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service utilized by NBA,
NCAA and worldwide teams Apr
28, 2025, 12:58 PM ET California transfer Andrej Stojakovic, the boy of previous NBA star Peja Stojakovic and among the best offered players in the website, has actually committed to Illinois, he informed ESPN on Monday.Stojakovic selected the Battling Illini over North Carolina and Stanford, where he began his college profession. Andrej Stojakovic, who was among the leading talents in the transfer website, has actually selected Illinois over North Carolina and Stanford, where he began his college profession. Picture by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire” I believe the primary factors were quite clear to my inner circle as a basketball fit,”Stojakovic stated.”Coach [Brad] Underwood has been really aggressive recruiting me from the start and continuously repeating just how much I’m desired and needed as a basketball player there. They actually believe I’m the missing piece to what they believe is a national championship team. “Stojakovic, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, indicated the long line of bigger playmakers who have actually found success under Underwood in Champaign as a key factor in his choice.”Their performance history. Ayo Dosunmu, T.J. [Shannon], [Marcus] Domask, Will Riley, Kasparas [Jakucionis], bigger guards that are considered ball-handlers, that can relieve pressure for their colleagues,”Stojakovic said. “I’m looking forward to becoming part of a group where I can bring the ball up and have shooters all around. I can likewise be a shooter, use the wing, when another person is bringing the ball up.”A McDonald’s All American and top-25 hire coming out of high school, Stojakovic struggled to discover consistency as a freshman at Stanford. But after moving to Cal last spring, he had a breakout season with the Golden Bears under Mark Madsen.Editor’s Picks

1 Related Stojakovic balanced 17.9 points and 4.7 rebounds this past season, and he finished the season by averaging 33.0 points in two ACC tournament games– shooting 7-for-13 from 3-point variety in those contests.

“Being able to be among those guards that can deal with the ball, it assisted me a lot this previous year. The self-confidence coach Madsen provided me, being able to be that ball-handler,” Stojakovic stated. “I’m confident I can go to a leading 25 group and do the very same.”

After losing Jakucionis and Riley early to the NBA draft, Underwood required to restore his border, leaving a clear opening for Stojakovic to play a big role right now. He’s the second transfer addition of the spring for the Illini and ends up being the 5th player with Balkan heritage on the roster. Stojakovic joins fellow Serbians Mihailo Petrovic and David Mirkovic and Croatian siblings Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic in what will be the most worldwide team in the Huge Ten.With all the new faces, the key for Illinois next season will come on the protective end of the flooring. If all the pieces fit, the Illini should have among the elite offenses in college basketball.

“I’m positive we can become one of the very best offending teams in the nation, however it’s going to take a lot defensively,” Stojakovic said. “We have to focus on the little stuff. It’s going to start with the guards, [we] have to set a tone that’s going to perhaps be surprising to some people. We’re ready to shock individuals defensively and I believe we’re going to do excellent things.”

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft professional and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private hunting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.