Tomislav Ivisic came to Champaign for the 2024-25 season and quickly established himself as one of the best big men in the Big Ten. The fit with Ivisic and lead guard Kasparas Jakucionis was almost ideal, with the former serving as the go-to screener in heavy ball-screen action activated by the latter.
Ivisic could roll or pop. Then, if Jakucionis was off the floor, the Illini could play through Ivisic. Dump it into him in the post or mid-post and let him go to work. Ivisic had the array of back-to-the-basket moves to get an easy one himself and the vision and deftness with the ball to dime up a teammate.
He finished his first year of college hoops averaging 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks while posting shooting splits of 49.2/35.7/75.0. Ivisic then entered the 2025-26 campaign projected by many to be the best frontcourt player in the Big Ten.
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) reaches for the ball against the UConn Huskies during the second half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Instead, Ivisic regressed. He didn't fit as cleanly with the 2025-26 Illini. Standout freshman David Mirkovic was now involved in the vast majority of screening scenarios, and Mirkovic also seemed to be Illinois' go-to option on the interior.
That too often left Ivisic as a de facto spot-up shooter. And the result was less than ideal on both sides of the floor (his defense and rebounding appeared to suffer when his offensive usage rate fell). So can he and the Illini figure it out entering 2026-27 ?
Mar 26, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood talks with center Tomislav Ivisic (13) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"He had a great, great summer," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "He and Mirk were in here every single morning together working. I've seen a tremendous commitment in his work ethic. He's 270 pounds. He's big and strong. And he is - the most important thing is, not just me seeing it but the NBA people are coming in - moving. He's moving so much better. He's not just what I call a plodder. He's moving. He's cutting.
"He's worked very, very hard on his face-up game, his ability to drive. So, much better player. Now, hopefully with a little good luck, stays extremely healthy. Can be the guy that we saw at the end of last year, which was a dominant player."
Two-hundred and seventy pounds is 15 more than Ivisic was listed at in 2025-26. And he was already tossing defenders around on offense and functioning as a brick wall in one-on-one situations in the post on defense. So just imagine how effective he should be inside - on both ends - in 2026-27.
If Ivisic is 15 pounds heavier, though, then his already-at-times suspect pick-and-roll defense will only be more of a question mark, right? Well, not if Ivisic is truly moving as well as Underwood's comments suggest.
Ideally, that would mean he is both more active but also quicker and more fluid in his movements. Because for the Illini to reach their defensive ceiling, Ivisic can't be a liability in ball-screen action. And if he is truly more agile, he won't be.
On offense, though, we already know all that Ivisic can do: He can shoot, pass and post up. And if his face-up game has reached a new level and he's now driving closeouts on top of it all, then he'll be just about unguardable.
Still, it's up to Underwood and his staff to find opportunities for Ivisic to get the ball and keep him engaged - which will be easier said than done considering the number of mouths to feed on this ultra-talented Illini roster.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Brad Underwood on Tomislav Ivisic's Offseason: He's a 'Much Better Player' .
