Illinois in Final Four: What to know about Fighting Illini's road to Indianapolis
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Illinois in Final Four: What to know about Fighting Illini's road to Indianapolis
Matthew Glenesk, USA TODAY·USA TODAY Sports
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4 min read
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The road from Champaign to Indianapolis is relatively easy — a two-hour straight shot due east on I-74.
Illinois' path to the2026 Final Fourwasn't as simple, but also didn't provide too many hazards as theFighting Illiniwon all four of its NCAA Tournament games by double digits.
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The No. 3 seeded Illini won the South Regionby beating Big Ten rival Iowa, who did Illinois a solid by knocking out No. 1 Florida in the second round. Freshman star Keaton Wagler,who was overlooked in this year's loaded freshman class, won the South's Most Outstanding Player as Brad Underwood led the Illini to their first Final Four since 2005.
Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) celebrates after scoring Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Penn Quakers at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) is defended by Penn Quakers guard AJ Levine (0) Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
Penn Quakers guard Michael Zanoni (7) and Penn Quakers guard AJ Levine (0) defend Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Illinois Fighting Illini won 105-70.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
Kylan Boswell #4 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts with teammates after a basket and a foul during the second half against the Penn Quakers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
Ben Humrichous #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts after making a 3-pointer during the first half against the Penn Quakers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives the ball against Cam Thrower #5 of the Penn Quakers during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
The Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) reacts after a play during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after a play during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) dunks the ball during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) celebrates after scoring Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the VCU Rams at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
Fans cheer Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the VCU Rams at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) shakes hands with VCU Rams guard Nyk Lewis (1) March 21, 2026 after the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) reacts after teammate Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) scored March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game with VCU Rams at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks against VCU Rams March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) scores near VCU Rams forward Michael Belle (8) March 21, 2026 during the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) dunks the ball past VCU Rams forward Lazar Djokovic (17) Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
Zvonimir Ivisic #44 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images)
David Mirkovic #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks for the rebound against the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) grabs a rebound against the Houston Cougars in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) shoots on Houston Cougars forward Kalifa Sakho (14) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) reacts against the Houston Cougars in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
Andrej Stojakovic #2 and Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas
(Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images)
Kylan Boswell #4 and Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) shoots against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tavion Banks (6) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Troy Taormina, Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
(L-R) Keaton Wagler #23, David Mirkovic #0 and Kylan Boswell #4 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 28, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 28, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and forward Ben Humrichous (3) celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis (15) reacts in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
(L-R) Keaton Wagler #23, Kylan Boswell #4 and David Mirkovic #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 28, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood celebrates with the trophy on the podium after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood celebrates after cutting down the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) cuts down the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) celebrates after scoring Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game against the Penn Quakers at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) is defended by Penn Quakers guard AJ Levine (0) Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
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Penn Quakers guard Michael Zanoni (7) and Penn Quakers guard AJ Levine (0) defend Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) Thursday, March 19, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament first round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. Illinois Fighting Illini won 105-70.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
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Kylan Boswell #4 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts with teammates after a basket and a foul during the second half against the Penn Quakers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
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Ben Humrichous #3 of the Illinois Fighting Illini reacts after making a 3-pointer during the first half against the Penn Quakers in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
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Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini drives the ball against Cam Thrower #5 of the Penn Quakers during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Jared C. Tilton, Getty Images)
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The Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) reacts after a play during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after a play during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) dunks the ball during the second half against the VCU Rams during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
(Bob Donnan-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) celebrates after scoring Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the VCU Rams at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
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Fans cheer Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the VCU Rams at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Kylan Boswell (4) shakes hands with VCU Rams guard Nyk Lewis (1) March 21, 2026 after the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
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Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) reacts after teammate Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) scored March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game with VCU Rams at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
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Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks against VCU Rams March 21, 2026 during the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) scores near VCU Rams forward Michael Belle (8) March 21, 2026 during the first half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round East Region game at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) dunks the ball past VCU Rams forward Lazar Djokovic (17) Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.
(Alex Martin/Greenville News)
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Zvonimir Ivisic #44 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini fans cheer against the Houston Cougars during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images)
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David Mirkovic #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini looks for the rebound against the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) grabs a rebound against the Houston Cougars in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) shoots on Houston Cougars forward Kalifa Sakho (14) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) reacts against the Houston Cougars in the second half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
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Andrej Stojakovic #2 and Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas
(Kenneth Richmond, Getty Images)
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Kylan Boswell #4 and Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Houston Cougars in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) shoots against Iowa Hawkeyes guard Tavion Banks (6) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Troy Taormina, Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
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(L-R) Keaton Wagler #23, David Mirkovic #0 and Kylan Boswell #4 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 28, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
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Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrates after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 28, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) and forward Ben Humrichous (3) celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis (15) reacts in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes during an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
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(L-R) Keaton Wagler #23, Kylan Boswell #4 and David Mirkovic #0 of the Illinois Fighting Illini celebrate after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 28, 2026 in Houston, Texas.
(Alex Slitz, Getty Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood celebrates with the trophy on the podium after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood celebrates after cutting down the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
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Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) cuts down the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes in an Elite Eight game of the South Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Toyota Center.
(Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images)
Illinois road to Final Four
First round: beat No. 14 Penn, 105-70
Second round: beat No. 11 VCU, 76-55
Sweet 16: beat No. 2 Houston, 65-55
Elite Eight: beat No. 9 Iowa, 71-59
Illinois basketball roster
Name
Position
Year
Height
Hometown
David Mirkovic
F
Fr
6-9
Montenegro
Brandon Lee
G
Fr.
6-4
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Andrej Stojakovic
G
Jr.
6-7
Thessaloniki, Greece
Ben Humrichous
F
Gr.
6-9
Tipton, Ind.
Kylan Boswell
G
Sr.
6-2
Champaign, Ill.
AJ Redd
G
Sr.
6-3
Chicago
Blake Fagbemi
G
Fr.
6-0
Naperville, Ill.
Toni Bilic
F
So.
6-8
Croatia
Tomislav Ivisic
C
Jr.
7-1
Croatia
Jake Davis
F
Jr.
6-6
McCordsville, Ind.
Ty Rodgers
G/F
Jr.
6-6
Saginaw, Mich.
Keaton Wagler
G
Fr.
6-6
Shawnee, Kan.
Jason Jakstys
C
Fr.
6-10
Yorkville, Ill.
Zvonimir Ivisic
F/C
Jr.
7-2
Croatia
Mihailo Petrovic
G
So.
6-2
Serbia
Illinois basketball stat leaders
SCORING
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Keaton Wagler, 17.9 ppg
Andrej Stojakovic, 13.6 ppg
David Mirkovic, 13.5 ppg
Kylan Boswell, 12.5 ppg
Tomislav Ivisic, 10. 2 ppg
REBOUNDING
David Mirkovic, 8.1 rpg
Tomislav Ivisic, 5.6 rpg
Keaton Wagler, 5.0 rpg
ASSISTS
Keaton Wagler, 4.3 apg
Kylan Boswell, 3.1 apg
David Mirkovic, 2.6 apg
Illinois basketball Final Four history
This is the Illini's sixth trip to the Final Four and first since 2005.
1949:lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-47
1951:lost semifinal to Kentucky, 76-74
1952:lost semifinal to St. John's, 61-59
1989:lost semifinal to Michigan, 83-81
2005:won semifinal vs. Louisville, 72-57; lost in final to North Carolina, 75-70
Is Andrej Stojakovic related to Peja Stojakovic?
Yes, Peja is his dad. Peja Stojakovic played 13 seasons in the NBA, primarily for the Sacramento Kings, and was a three-time All-Star.
Andrej played at Cal and Stanford before transferring to Illinois.
How many Europeans are on Illinois' team? Why does Illinois have so many Europeans on its roster?
David Mirkovic is from Montenegro
Andrej Stojakovic lists Thessaloniki, Greece as his hometown
Tomislav Ivisic is from Croatia
Zvonimir Ivisic is from Croatia
Mihailo Petrovic is from Serbia
Toni Bilic is from Croatia
"Geoff Alexander, Orlando Antigua deserve most all of the credit in terms of building the relationships in Europe," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. "It's taken years. NIL has obviously helped enhance our abilities to attract some of the best players in Europe. But they're a great fit for us. It's not for everybody. I enjoy coaching 'em. They fit our university. We're a diverse university with a lot of international students, so it's a perfect fit for them.
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"Basketball-wise it's a great fit for me, and I like coaching them. The way we're playing with positional size and shooting, it's just — it's a great marriage and a great fit. So we'll continue it. I would think others will continue to migrate over there and keep trying to recruit those guys."
Illinois' Jake Davis gets to play at home for Final Four
The Illini forward is from McCordsville, Indiana, a suburb northeast of Indianapolis, and played at Indy's Cathedral High School. He began his college career at Mercer before transferring to Illinois after the 2024 season. At Cathedral, Davis was known as "the guy who takes charges."
Illinois forward Ben Humrichous is also from Indiana, from nearby Tipton, about an hour north. He began his college career at Indiana's Huntington University (NAIA) and then transferred to Evansville.
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Brad Underwood says Illinois will 'turn Indy orange', 'kick everybody's ass there'
On Sunday, Brad Underwood addressed a crowd of fans on campus:
"We had a huge group in Houston. I know we're going to turn it out in Indy. That's the story. We're going to turn Indy orange.. and blue. And kick everybody's ass there."
Keaton Wagler 2026 NBA Draft mock draft prediction
Atlanta Hawks, pick No. 7.
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
After trading away Trae Young, the Hawks could find their point guard of the future in Illinois standout Keaton Wagler using a first-round pick they received from the Pelicans. The 19-year-old guard scored 46 points while shooting 9-of-11 on 3-pointers against No. 12 Purdue on Jan. 24. He projects as one of the best 3-point shooters in this class, shooting 41.0 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman this year. The Big Ten Rookie of the Year is a cerebral basketball player who is also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game this season.
