How is the star transfer doing in his first (and maybe only) year in Champaign?
Andrej Stojakovic was triple-cursed before he signed with the Illini.
His last name conjures up memories of his father, Predrag (Peja). Peja was a 6-foot-10ish sharpshooter for the Sacramento Kings that tormented the Shaq/Kobe Lakers. He was the closest thing the NBA had to a true replacement for the late “Petro,” Drazen Petrovic. He shot a career 40% from behind the arc.
His shadow looms large.
His second curse was the success of both Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask on the 2023-24 Fighting Illini. Those two established something significant for Brad and Tyler Underwood.
A big, physical wing who can get downhill and score at the basket is the key to unlocking the Illini offense.
Shannon was a third-team All-American whose unjust suspension likely cost him first- or second-team honors.
Marcus Domask was a first-team all-conference player for the Illini, bringing “booty ball” to Champaign. Like Andrej, Domask was never an elite three-point shooter. But his ability to put a defender on his hip and bully his way to the rim carried him to nearly 17 points per game in his lone season in Champaign.
The third curse is a self-inflicted one. Andrej Stojakovic brings a more significant prospect pedigree to Champaign than every other non-Will Riley player of the Brad Underwood era. He was a McDonald’s All-American with a famous last name.
There is a reason Illinois was able to sign him. He had a pre-existing relationship with Orlando Antigua, who was the lead recruiter for Stojakovic while still serving on John Calipari’s staff in Lexington. Antigua has deep ties to elite prep prospect circles, and his reputation for landing those players speaks for itself.
Add to that the perception that Illinois whiffed on all of its primary transfer portal targets in the 2024 cycle. The Illini aggressively pursued Pryce Sandfort, Ian Jackson, Josh Dix, and Adam Miller. All three rebuffed Underwood’s advances.
Illinois also missed on top international target Dame Sarr.
Message board rumor mongering said that “there is a guy who will be entering the portal late, and he will immediately become Illinois’ top target.”
That player was Andrej Stojakovic. And when he signed with Illinois, a huge sigh of relief echoed through the fan base. With the intriguing additions of Zvonimir Ivisic, David Mirkovic, and Mihailo Petrovic, Illinois looked like a well-oiled Balkan-powered machine that returned key starters Kylan Boswell and Tomislav Ivisic.
Were expectations for Andrej fair?
Comparing him to previous Illini star talents like Will Riley and Terrence Shannon Jr. was the natural move. Andrej’s status as a third-year player spoke to the realistic possibility that he could be the Will Riley replacement. His downhill style and NBA upside spoke to his ability to be a TSJ-like shot of nitroglycerine for a program that lost two first-round picks.
By almost any measure, Andrej Stojakovic has been an excellent player for Illinois this season. He’s currently putting up career highs in True Shooting Percentage (.577), Effective Field Goal Percentage (.542), and Box Plus Minus (5.2). He is averaging about 14 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for an Illini team that is stepping into the national conversation in a real way.
Keaton Wagler’s rapid ascent as a true freshman has overshadowed Andrej, who was projected to be the primary “action guy” in Tyler Underwood’s offensive scheme. Senior Kylan Boswell and second-year student Tomislav Ivisic have garnered a lot of the headlines (for different reasons).
So we have arrived at a point in the season where Andrej Stojakovic, McDonald’s All-American, second-generation basketball star, big money transfer portal addition, and projected NBA draft pick, is not the main story for the Illini.
Don’t confuse volume with success and effectiveness. Don’t conflate the lack of gaudy numbers with a lack of upside. Of course, on a better Illinois squad, less will be asked of him. He doesn’t have to carry the team, and perhaps that has served his overall game and efficiency well.
Yes, his 22% from behind the arc clip has to improve. Thus far, his 62% from two-point range has carried him to a good season. The talent is clear, but the tools are louder than the counting stats.
In the meat of Big Ten play, Stojakovic has the potential to take his nationally-praised star turn. The coaching staff could scheme up more lineups and sets that focus on his rare ability to attack the rim and punish opponents at the basket. There are enough effective, consistent shooters on the roster to play four-around-one with Andrej as the primary ballhandler.
The triple-curse revolves around expectation. But the skill, versatility, and emerging efficiency are curse-proof.
Category: General Sports
