Good Morning, Illini Nation: Summer questions – The News-Gazette

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Welcome to “Good Morning, Illini Nation,” your daily dose of college basketball news from Illini beat writer and AP Top 25 voter Scott Richey. He’ll offer up insights every morning on Brad Underwood’s team and college basketball at large:

Brad Underwood has been able to pull off something that’s become the exception rather than the norm in college basketball in 2026. 

Retention.

The transfer portal was the initial catalyst for seemingly unending roster turnover. That dollars could be attached to those moves through revenue sharing (pay for play) and name, image and likeness deals (also, in most instances, pay for play) only made the roster churn more prevalent.

Then there’s Underwood and Illinois bringing back five key players from a Final Four run. What is this, 1990?

Despite that level of retention almost unmatched among other power conference teams, there are still questions about the Illini heading into the 2026-27 season. Like these … 

How will Quentin Coleman handle outsized outside expectations?

The next Keaton Wagler. That’s been the conversation surrounding Coleman ever since he flipped from Wake Forest to Illinois on the eve of the Final Four. That’s the expectation from an exceedingly large percentage of the fan base. At least from what I’ve experienced. Lose a one-and-done first-round pick and replace him with another. The difference between the two? No one was expecting Wagler to be that player when he arrived in Champaign.

Buzz certainly started to pick up last summer and into the fall, but Wagler was able to grow into his role with the Illini. Coleman, it seems, won’t have that same grace period. (Even if he should). No Class of 2026 prospect had the type of late rise Coleman experienced, and he could be that next go-to Illini guard given his offensive proficiency and the sheer effort he plays with on the court. But it’s OK if it doesn’t happen immediately.

How will Stefan Vaaks move to Illinois impact his game?

Vaaks’ introduction to college basketball was an impressive one even if Providence finished the 2025-26 season with a 15-18 record and in the bottom tier of the Big East. Bad enough to cost Kim English is job. Probably because the foursome of Vaaks, Jaylin Sellers, Jason Edwards and Jamier Jones should have been more competitive (albeit without a big man in the bunch). Vaaks still averaged 15.8 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds on a wing-heavy team.

Illinois offers a bit more balance on that front with bigs that can stretch the floor and create space for Vaaks to operate. To put his positional size at 6-7 to good use in an offense that’s all about hunting matchups. An uptick in overall talent could also mean the tough shots he got saddled with last season (part of his Big East-leading 290 three-point attempts) might turn into easier ones with the Illini and lead to better efficiency than his 35 percent hit rate from deep. Illinois might also unlock more of Vaaks’ playmaking considering there will be a real need on that front in a post-Wagler/Kylan Boswell world.

What’s the next evolution of Andrej Stojakovic?

Stojakovic spent two seasons as a good player on bad teams, following up a part-time starter role at Stanford as a freshman with a breakout sophomore year at California. The 6-7 guard was the No. 1 option for the Golden Bears, averaging 17.9 points and 4.7 rebounds, albeit for a team that finished 14-19 overall and 15th in the ACC. Stojakovic played a different role at Illinois — the slasher on a team of shooters — while putting greater emphasis on the defensive side of the ball. A role he filled well.

Returning to Illinois for the 2026-27 season after a flirtation with the NBA draft comes with an absolute must for Stojakovic. His draft stock a year from now will be influenced by his three-point shooting. Making more than 24 percent of his threes is a necessity. So is turning off his tunnel vision while attacking the rim and finding a way to be a better passer out of the paint. Then maybe he leaps into first-round consideration in the 2027 draft.

Which version of Tomislav Ivisic will Illinois get?

The combination of a preseason tonsillectomy and early November knee trouble with figuring out a new dynamic on the court alongside David Mirkovic didn’t make for a smooth start to Ivisic’s second season in Champaign. While there were signs late in the season, particularly the NCAA tournament, Ivisic’s production dipped across the board. Scoring. Shooting. Rebounding. Playmaking. Defending. 

The NCAA tournament version of Ivisic was more reminiscent of his debut season at Illinois, with the 7-foot-1 center averaging 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the run to the Final Four. That level of production would work for the Illini in 2026-27. Mirkovic will likely take on an even more prominent role, so coexisting with the 6-9 forward is paramount, but if Ivisic can get his three-point percentage back up to the 36 percent he shot in 2024-25 that would be the ideal scenario.

Is there another under-the-radar freshman breakout candidate?

Under the radar means Coleman is out considering he jumped into five-star, top 15 prospect status in the final Class of 2026 rankings. Lucas Morillo should probably also be ruled out, with the versatile 6-7 guard more of a known commodity given his efforts at the Newman School (Mass.) and representing the Dominican Republic on the international stage. Zavier Zens, however, gives off some Wagler-esque vibes.

Zens is also a big-time scorer and multiple state champion from the Midwest. The 6-7 forward is ranked a few spots higher than Wagler was, but both got a four-star label from 247Sports. Where Zens could find his place at Illinois is in the Ben Humrichous-sized hole in the rotation. Humrichous turned into an ideal role player in two seasons in Champaign, and that could be Zens’ entry point with a résumé (23.4 points on 62/42/74 shooting during Wisconsin Lutheran’s third straight state title run) that indicates more is possible.