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In the 2025 offseason, there was a buzz in Champaign.
After Illinois exited the 2025 NCAA Tournament in the second round and Illini coach Brad Underwood reconstructed his roster, there was a mildly optimistic expectation of a step forward in 2025-26.
And who did many believe was going to lead the charge? It certainly wasnt Keaton Wagler or David Mirkovic, both of whom wound up being top-three scorers for the Illini as freshman.
The general consensus was that Tomislav Ivisic, who in 2024-25 put up 13.0 points (on 62.0 percent shooting from two-point range and 35.7 percent from three), 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks, would be the go-to option alongside transfer Andrej Stojakovic.
In Ivisics first collegiate campaign, he was Illinois primary option when guard Kasparas Jakucionis wasnt on the floor (until Will Riley blossomed late in the season).
So it was only natural to assume the Illini would heap an even heavier load on Ivisic given that he had a full season under his belt and a full offseason of training.
Instead, Ivisic's scoring, rebounding and passing numbers all dropped despite his playing only 1.4 fewer minutes per game.
The culprit: Ivisic wasnt involved in nearly as much action, and as a result he struggled to find his role with the 2025-26 Illini.
Fast-forward to the present day, and there are already outside expectations forming around every projected starter, including five-star guard Quentin Coleman, returners Stojakovic and Mirkovic and, of course, prized Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks.
The noise around Ivisic? Crickets.
Why Tomislav Ivisic is overlooked entering 2026-27 The issue last season: The Illini, like every othert college hoops squad, were allowed to play with only one basketball.
How could Ivisic be heavily involved in the offense as an action guy if Wagler, Mirkovic, Stojakovic and Kylan Boswell already demanded the lions share of touches? The critical issue going into 2026-27: There remains only one basketball to go around.
How will Ivisic make much of an impact if Coleman, Mirkovic, Stojakovic and Vaaks are all ball-dominant offensive forces? It doesnt help that Ivisic shot just 31.3 percent from beyond the arc last season, but the one-basketball conundrum is reason enough that he is being overlooked.
How Tomislav Ivisic can be a key contributor in 2026-27 Lets not get it twisted: Ivisic was undoubtedly a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Illini a year ago.
At the same time, he is capable of more.
Ivisic must make a better effort to control the controllables (to put it in language his coach is fond of using).
He cannot allow his shot volume and touches on offense to influence his defensive motor and desire on the glass.
Last season, Ivisics offense appeared to visibly affect his performance in other areas of the game.
That trend must be broken next season.
Underwood and his staff could certainly emphasize getting Ivisic touches early in games and more often overall to boost his overall activity.
But at the end of the day, the big man's individual effort and focus are up to him.
Regardless, Ivisic's numbers shouldn't be expected to skyrocket in 2026-27.
The Illini just aren't built for him to be a Kofi Cockburn-like center of attention.
But if Ivisic can knock down a few more open threes and push his long-distance efficiency into the upper 30s while providing the defensive and glass-cleaning value he is capable of, there's no reason he can't be one of the premier big men in the Big Ten.
Mmore importantly, if Ivisic does all that which, honestly, should be the expectation Illinois will likely be the team to beat in the conference.
Primarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Kansas basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features and recruiting.
Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember.
An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024.
He can be followed and reached on X @jglangendorf.
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