Andrej Stojakovic saw real value in return to Illinois

Jul. 10—CHAMPAIGN — The feedback Andrej Stojakovic received during the pre-draft process was mostly positive.

The Illinois guard, who struggled from three-point range during his first season in Champaign, found more consistency in his jump shot during the workouts offered by several NBA organizations. Stojakovic also felt like he held his own with the other draft hopefuls during those workouts.

How those NBA teams viewed Stojakovic's adaptability during his first season with the Illini also landed in the positive feedback column. And there was enough of that, Stojakovic said, that some of his inner circle felt like staying in the 2026 NBA draft could be the right move.

Stojakovic ultimately saw it differently. The 6-foot-7 guard felt like he still had something to prove. Something only another season at Illinois could provide.

"I think that, ultimately, I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't done," Stojakovic told The News-Gazette in a one-on-one interview Wednesday at Ubben Basketball Complex. "I wanted to do better. As grateful as I was for the feedback, I knew I had to prove something. Stating the obvious, that was shooting the ball better at the game level."

Stojakovic connected at just a 24.4 percent rate from three-point range last season for Illinois. It was a career low after he shot 32.7 percent in 2023-24 at Stanford and 31.8 percent a season later at California.

Inconsistency magnified, at least externally, by his pedigree. Stojakovic's dad, Peja, was regarded as one of the best shooters in the world as he went from the EuroLeague's top scorer in 1998 with top Greek club PAOK to a three-time all-star and 2011 Finals champion during a 13-year NBA career.

Stojakovic made his jump shot a priority as soon as Illinois' Final Four season ended. How he shot the ball during his pre-draft workouts felt like he'd turned over the proverbial new leaf. Shots fell. NBA front office personnel were impressed.

"I'm looking forward to bringing that confidence back this year," Stojakovic said. "That's something I feel like I kind of struggled with (last season), dealing with the injuries and dealing with the different roles."

Injuries and role changes both shaped Stojakovic's first season at Illinois. He missed seven weeks in the fall with a knee injury, keeping him out of preseason practices. A February ankle injury meant another change to his role.

Stojakovic had already shifted from the No. 1 option and leading scorer at California to an off-ball slasher expected to defend at a high level on the perimeter with the Illini. Missing two games in February was followed by a move out of the starting lineup to end the regular season, and that rotation change held through the Final Four.

What Stojakovic did in that role — how he handled another change — didn't go unnoticed. He averaged 13.8 points and 4.0 rebounds during the NCAA tournament and, even coming off the bench, helped keep Illinois' postseason run alive with 21 points in the second round against VCU and 17 in the Elite Eight victory against Houston.

"I think the biggest thing was (NBA) teams were happy with how I adjusted from being the guy at my previous school to eventually coming off the bench on a March Madness team and not really caring about the scoring," Stojakovic said. "Yes, they were happy with how I scored the ball in the tournament, but keeping that aggressiveness no matter how much my role fluctuated was something I was really pleased with myself and what teams were happy with."

Stojakovic had to put any ego aside last season at Illinois on a team where multiple players made a similar sacrifice. He had to do the same when deciding whether to stay in the 2026 NBA draft or withdraw and return to Illinois. The latter came with an understanding of what he could still improve to add to what he could already do at a high level.

Spending a second season in Champaign was part of that decision. It's something Stojakovic had never experienced in his college career, bouncing from Stanford to California to Illinois in consecutive seasons. While Illinois coach Brad Underwood lets his players take the lead when they test the NBA draft waters, he's still open to a dialogue about what might be best.

Stojakovic said he and Underwood landed on the same page. A second season in the same place had value.

"I think it will stamp me to becoming more of a winner to stay here," Stojakovic said. "It feels more of a family than ever before. For me, personally, staying at the same school and having a group that believes in me — from players to coaches to admin — is something I feel like I needed. I feel like I've dealt with so much change the last four years that being a part of this one more time will help me grow in basketball significantly."