Apr. 23—The transfer portal closed Tuesday with the Illinois roster (mostly) set for the 2026-27 season. Two open spots providing some late spring or summer flexibility for Brad Underwood and Co., but it feels safe to project out a starting lineup and rotation. Here's how beat writer Scott Richey currently sees it:
A better fit for Illinois couldn't have been made in a lab. Vaaks checks every box. The Estonian standout has the necessary positional size at 6-foot-7. Then there's his making 35 percent of his three-pointers on a Big East-leading 260 attempts last season at Providence. Don't forget his European heritage even if he's from the Baltics and not the Balkans. It's a combination that should make for a seamless transition in Champaign.
Keaton Wagler declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, as expected, means Illinois will lose its leading scorer from it Final Four team. That's one thing Coleman certainly knows how to do. Just look at the MSHSAA Class 3 title game where the 6-4 guard dropped 50 points on 18 of 21 shooting to help Principia (Mo.) win its second straight state championship. Coleman was efficient, too, shooting 65 percent overall and 51 percent from three-point range.
Stojakovic came off the bench for the final 11 games of the 2025-26 season after a February ankle injury sidelined him for two games and Underwood got comfortable with Jake Davis as a starter. While Stojakovic actually produced more in fewer minutes off the bench, it seems like a safe assumption he'll start his last season the same way he spent most of his first at Illinois for the same reason. His slashing ability dovetails perfectly with a lineup full of shooters.
The sheer number of ways Illinois can use Mirkovic could create an interesting year two for the 6-9, 250-pound forward. Next year's team seems set up for a playmaking by committee approach, so those "Point Mirk" moments in the second half of last season could be more prominent. Putting the 20-year-old Montenegrin in either side of a ball screen action is a matchup few teams will be able to easily handle and Illinois can further exploit.
An October tonsillectomy followed by an early November knee injury didn't set Ivisic up for success at the start of the 2025-26 season. Particularly when he was adjusting to a modified role with Illinois using Mirkovic in many of the same ways it used him a year prior. How Ivisic finished last season — averaging 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the NCAA tournament — indicates his potential impact in that same frontcourt in 2026-27.
Illinois' honorary Balkan earned a bigger role last season and did exactly what was asked of him whether he was in the starting lineup or coming off the bench. The 6-6 wing led the team as a 41 percent three-point shooter, knocking down 44 percent from his trademark spots in either corner. He also had more influence defensively where mistakes were uncommon, and he took care of the ball with just six turnovers in 725 total minutes played.
Ivisic's playing time dropped off as the NCAA tournament progressed. Partly because his brother was playing so well and partly because he wasn't playing to his full capability. The 7-2 big man is unique because of the way he can protect the rim defensively and stretch the floor offensively. That duality makes him a threat, but shooting 17 percent from three-point range in the final month of last season diminished how dangerous Ivisic can be on the court.
Morillo's combination of size and skill could make him an ideal piece off the bench. The former should allow him to play multiple positions. The latter, highlighted by averaging 8.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.8 steals during his senior season at The Newman School (Mass.), should allow him to be productive no matter where in the lineup he fits. Having played high-level competition — both in high school and internationally — is also a plus as he starts his college career.