2026-27 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Illinois Fighting Illini

Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2026-27 season.

Up next: Illinois (28-9 overall in 2025-26, 15-5 in Big Ten play)

Previously: Penn State, Rutgers, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland, Oregon, Purdue, USC, Indiana, UCLA, Ohio State, Nebraska

Brad Underwood finally broke through in 2025-26.

In his ninth year with the Illini, Underwood led Illinois to its first Final Four appearance since 2005. It was no Cinderella run. It was a statement.

Despite dealing with injuries to key players all season long, Illinois blended veteran returners with impactful newcomers to create a team that looked as if it had been playing together for years.

The Illini won 20 games by 10 or more points. They won 12 games by 20 or more. Leading up to their Final Four matchup with UConn, they had won each of their four NCAA tournament games by 10 or more points.

Despite an early exit in the Big Ten tournament, the Illini thrived in March and carried their success into the games that mattered.

Entering the 2026-27 season, Illinois is primed for another successful year. Bart Torvik’s 2026-27 preseason projections have Illinois ranked No. 4 in the country and No. 1 in the Big Ten.

Illinois roster movement

Players returning with eligibility: Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Jake Davis, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jason Jakstys

Players departing due to NBA Draft/professional route/out of eligibility: Keaton Wagler (NBA draft), Ben Humrichous, Kylan Boswell

Players who departed via transfer portal: Brandon Lee (to James Madison), Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic, Ty Rodgers (to Boise State)

Players arriving via transfer portal: Stefan Vaaks (from Providence)

Incoming freshmen: Quentin Coleman, Lucas Morillo, Ethan Brown, Landon Davis, Zavier Zens, Lincoln Williams

What to like about Illinois

Last season’s formula proved to work and Illinois is running it back for another year. The balance between continuity and impactful newcomers is tough to strike. Illinois has strong pieces on both sides.

The Fighting Illini’s frontcourt production has a chance to be as good as it gets in the Big Ten. The Ivisic brothers, Tomislav and Zvonimir, bring the complete package of height, size, rim protection and offensive versatility that should improve even more with more experience on the floor.

The duo of 7-footers will be supplemented by Jason Jakstys, but do not expect to see a deep rotation of bigs. Underwood likes to play small-ball to supplement the Ivisic brothers. That is not necessarily a bad thing at all.

On the perimeter, the Illini lost their most productive player in Keaton Wagler, but will fill the void with familiar faces. Andrej Stojakovic and David Mirkovic were the team’s second and third leading scorers. Jake Davis will bring his defensive spark and timely scoring back for one more year as well.

The biggest trait Illinois loses with Wagler and Ben Humrichous out the door is shooting and shot creation. Enter Stefan Vaaks. Vaaks had a stellar freshman season with Providence, averaging 15.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while taking over 12 shots per game. The addition of guard Quentin Coleman, who originally signed with Wake Forest, gives the Illini one of the best incoming freshmen in the Big Ten. There’s no doubt that seeing what Wagler did last season in Champaign helped draw Coleman to the program.

Illinois appears to be a complete team on both ends of the floor. It will look very similar to last season. For a team that made the Final Four, that is a good sign.

What to question about Illinois

There really is not much to question about this team. The returning players who will make up the majority of the rotation have already proven themselves. However, there can be valid curiosity over whether they keep up or improve their production.

It will be a committee effort to replace Wagler and Boswell. That will take some improvement from players like Mirkovic and Stojakovic. The freshman class, which ranks sixth in the nation, per 247Sports, also has question marks.

How quickly can the freshmen make an impact? Who, if anyone, will step up as Wagler did a season ago? Which of the six freshmen will play? Coleman, a five-star prospect, should slot right into the lineup from day one.

Additionally, the impact of Vaaks, the lone transfer piece, is undetermined. He was the go-to guy at Providence. He could take any shot he wanted. That will likely not be the case at Illinois. Uncovering his role is an important piece to the puzzle this season.

These are all very minor questions, but they do need to be brought up. The returners will carry this team to success. It is just a matter of asking how far this team can go.

Illinois’ outlook for the 2026-27 season

Here’s Illinois’ Big Ten schedule for next season:

Home: Iowa, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ohio State, Penn State, UCLA, USC

Away: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rutgers, Washington

Home/Away: Northwestern, Purdue, Wisconsin

Illinois is primed for another successful year in the 2026-27 season. Underwood has all the momentum coming off a Final Four run. The Illini are going to be a team opponents look at on their schedule and prepare for with extra emphasis.

A true contender to win the Big Ten next winter, this will be a team to watch come March.

See More: Commentary, 2026-27 Big Ten preview, Illinois Fighting Illini