The 2026 NBA Draft’s NCAA withdrawal deadline was set for Wednesday night at 11:59 p.m. ET, and several top college basketball players in the country entered deadline day still undecided about their NBA fate. As the day went on, decisions were made.
Among the top playmakers still weighing his options was Illinois guard Andrej Stojakovic. After needing a month to decide, the 6'7" guard has decided to return to Champaign for his senior season of college basketball.
Andrej Stojakovic is withdrawing from the 2026 NBA Draft and will return to Illinois next season, per his IG page.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 27, 2026
For an Illinois team that was already stacked, Stojakovic's return spells bad news for the Big Ten and Indiana.
Andrej Stojakovic returning to Illinois spells bad news for Indiana
This past season, Stojakovic's well-rounded and versatile skill set made him one of the best players in the Big Ten. He averaged 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game during the regular season before playing a vital role in Illinois' run to the Final Four. In the NCAA Tournament, Stojakovic averaged 13.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game en route to earning All-South Region Team honors.
The one thing that could make or break Indiana's second season under Darian DeVries
In addition to Stojakovic's return, several other key contributors from last year's Final Four team will be back in Champaign next season. Among them are David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisc, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Jake Davis. In addition, Illinois secured a transfer home run landing former Providence point guard Stefan Vaaks, who figures to be the starting point guard for the Illini. No matter how you slice it, Illinois is going to be a dangerous team once again.
Indiana's upcoming matchup against Illinois just got even tougher
Illinois was just fine against Indiana without Stojakovic this past season. The Hoosiers and Fighting Illini met back on February 15, and Illinois was able to pickup a convincing victory without Stojakovic in the mix. He was sidelined with an ankle injury, but it didn't matter. The Fighting Illini led for 87% of the game and cruised to an emphatic 91-71 victory.
The loss began a tough stretch for the Hoosiers, as they would lose four games in a row and six of their last seven games to close out the season. After looking like a surefire NCAA Tournament team prior their trip to Champaign, the Hoosiers' 1-6 stretch ultimately doomed their March Madness hopes.
The Hoosiers and Fighting Illini are slated to meet again in 2026-27, but this time the meeting will take place in Bloomington. Stojakovic returning to Illinois presents another major problem for Darian DeVries and Indiana to worry about.
With that being said, Indiana's roster seems to be in a much better place now than it was at this point last season. DeVries' portal additions are earning high praise, and the high-major experience, size, and versatility that IU's portal class possesses are giving Hoosier basketball fans hope.
After suffering a 20-point loss to Illinois without Stojakovic this past season, taking down the Illini won't be an easy task. But the Hoosiers can make a big statement by walking away with a victory.
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