Andrej Stojakovic Is Making Illinois Look Brilliant

Andrej Stojakovic is currently in his first season with Illinois, and he is proving the program right so far to start the season.

Andrej Stojakovic Is Making Illinois Look Brilliant

The son of former NBA player Peja Stojakovic, Andrej Stojakovic has had big shoes to fill. It has already been an eventful collegiate career for Andrej Stojakovic so far. Once a McDonald’s All-American, Stojakovic started his career at Stanford before transferring to Cal for the 2024-25 season. Stojakovic ended up establishing himself as one of the best transfers for the 2025 offseason. Options such as North Carolina and even a return to Stanford were on the table, but Stojakovic selected Illinois.

Coming off of five straight NCAA tournament appearances under Brad Underwood, Illinois landed at #17 in the preseason AP poll. Despite losing Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley to the NBA and other key players to the portal, Illinois brought in intriguing talent from multiple sources. However, Stojakovic is not just looking like the best offseason acquisition for Illinois, but he is also making a strong claim as the best player on the team.

The Junior Is the Scorer Illinois Needed

With Jakucionis going to the NBA, a clear priority for the offseason was for Illinois to find a reliable lead scorer. Stojakovic appears to be the best scorer on an Illinois team full of reliable options. Despite missing the season opener due to a knee injury, Stojakovic has started the season strong. In just 26.8 minutes per game, he is averaging an impressive 18.5 points so far, the most on the team. However, most importantly, Andrej Stojakovic is proving himself to be the big game player Illinois needed.

In just the third game of the season, Illinois faced a tough home test against Texas Tech, with both teams being ranked top-15 at the time. Illinois had five double-digit scorers, but Andrej Stojakovic was their leading scorer despite playing just 26 minutes. Stojakovic also showcased his big-game scoring ability in the defeat to Alabama on November 19, scoring 26 points in 30 minutes. However, beyond his stats, it is impressive how well-rounded Stojakovic has proven to be as a scorer.

Despite shooting just 26.5% from three and 50% from the free throw line, Stojakovic is dominating as a scorer. He is currently shooting 68.2% on his shots inside the arc. Although the sample size is small, his 61.5 TS% and 61.8% eFG% are the best of his career so far. Stojakovic is comfortable driving to the basket but has a reliable midrange shot. Regardless of competition, Stojakovic has shown a strong ability to drive to the basket and finish under contact.

The Last Word

Andrej Stojakovic and Illinois have already proven to be the perfect match so far early this season. Illinois is coming off an offseason that featured many key losses, but Stojakovic has already shown his abilities as an elite scorer. Illinois should be one of the elite Big Ten teams but could also be a real threat in March. Right now, it looks like Illinois’ strong belief in Andrej Stojakovic will pay off significantly this season.