Illini’s ‘Balkan Five’ will stick to English on the court, mostly…

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – Illinois men’s basketball has gone global.

After the Canadian Will Riley and Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis were both selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft out of Illinois, the international ties on the roster only got stronger.

Illinois returns Croatian big man Tomislav Ivisic, while adding four new European players. Tomislav’s twin brother Zvonimir transfers in from Arkansas. Greek star Andrej Stojakovic transferred to Illinois from California. Serbian point guard Mihailo Petrovic will play his first season of college basketball with Illinois, as will Montenegro native David Mirkovic.

“We made a deal to not speak out language on the court because other guys don’t understand us,” Tomislav Ivisic said.

However, that deal might be off the table if the ‘Balkan Five’ all wind up on the court together.

“No, we’re speaking Serbian,” Mirkovic said of that scenario.

It’s less of a challenge for Stojakovic, who grew up in California. Zvonomir Ivisic enters his third year playing in America, and ‘Tomi’ his second. The two first-year collegiate players, Petrovic and Mirkovic, might still be adjusting.

“Me, sometimes, [I] speak Serbian too,” Mirkovic said. “It’s just habit, natural habit. I still haven’t adapted speaking English on the court while I’m fatigued, tired. I try to speak English as much as possible. Sometimes there is me, Tomi and three American guys. Then, between me and Tomi we speak Serbian but for everyone else we speak English.”

Mirkovic says he learned English at a young age, but making it his go-to in the heat of battle on the court is a change of pace.

Petrovic is already American in at least one way.

“I like Chipotle,” he said. “Burrito with chicken.”

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