Apr. 21—Bolstered by a surging fan base and eager donors, Brad Underwood has pulled off a magical twin killing in the early offseason.
With background showing 12 former Illinois men's basketball players having just competed for other programs — Morez Johnson at Michigan, Tre White at Kansas, Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn at UNLV, Amari Hansberry at Virginia Tech and so on — the Illini coach simultaneously:
(1) Leads the league in April retention with regulars David Mirkovic, Jake Davis, Andrej Stojakovic and twins Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic back in the fold;
(2) Ranks near the top in additions by bringing 6-foot-7 guard Stefan Vaaks from Providence and a five-man recruiting class that ranks high among the Illini's most promising.
National critics are jumping aboard to project Illinois as a strong contender for another Final Four run and a well-stocked program for the future.
Meanwhile, John Blackwell, a 19-point scorer who helped Wisconsin defeat the Illini twice in overtime, remains the cherry on top for the 2026-27 season.
Yes, Illinois has a spot for him at the shooting guard with Kylan Boswell and Keaton Wagler gone.
At the same time, he raises a question never before asked about Illinois basketball: Is it possible to have too many basket-eager scorers on one team? Would Blackwell be satisfied with fewer than the 13.6 shots he took with a Badgers' frontcourt that was somewhat shorthanded?
In a similar vein, would it become an internal problem if his "salary" grows beyond that of established Illini returnees? And, with Stojakovic in the fold, can Illinois handle yet-another huge outlay?
In these turbulent collegiate times, Underwood has met the waves of change head-on.
He is the right guy for these times. His assemblage of talent has enlivened more willing donors than Illinois has ever known. That's why you see Howard Milton, the chief fundraiser for Josh Whitman, acknowledging with a wide smile that "we are acquiring new friends of the program."
Milton oversees 15 athletic department fundraisers, 11 of them located in markets like Chicago and San Francisco. It can be stated with a high degree of certainty that Illinois will spend more on men's basketball in the 2026-27 season than ever before.
And if Blackwell puts Illinois over the top, don't be surprised if the only problem is getting approval from the College Sports Commission's clearinghouse ... which doesn't seem to be a problem for all the massive amounts being tossed around the country.
All this said, Underwood faces a difficult job in meeting expectations that find national "experts" already projecting his team among the nation's top five.
Remember, other teams will be more athletic. Other teams will be better defensively. Other teams will shoot three-pointers at a higher percentage. And face it, four overtime losses indicate Illinois hasn't found someone like Ayo Dosunmu for last-minute finishes.
But this is an extraordinary roster around which to build, Underwood calling the returnees "a fun group to coach and we're going to have more fun next season."
As a coach who harps on rebounding, he'll have nearly 60 percent returning in that regard. That is crucial. Mirkovic averaged 8.0 rebounds, and the rotating Ivisic brothers combined for 10.1 rebounds while scoring 16.8 points in 42-plus minutes.
Before you start fretting about a center in the 2027-28 season, don't forget that work will continue in the international market, where the Illini remain strong.
Even if they don't see a need to tap that market this year.