By IlliniGuys Staff

April 15, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - One year of playing college basketball together resulted in a Final Four trip and memories that will last a lifetime. So the Ivisic brothers have decided to do it again.

According to Draft Express' Jonathan Givony, seven-footers Tomislav Ivisic and his twin brother Zvonimir Ivisic will return to the Illini for the 2026-27 season. The decision by the natives of Vodice, Croatia answers the call by Illinois coach Brad Underwood, who made the emotional charge to "run it back" after the team's heartbreaking loss to UConn in the national semifinals earlier this month.

It will be the third and final collegiate season with for Tomislav, who hopes to enjoy a fully healthy campaign after battling a myriad of injuries and illnesses the past two years. Early season surgery to remove his tonsils followed by a knee injury hampered his play as the season began, but he recovered to average 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. But both numbers were down from the 2024-25 season, as was his 31.4 percent shooting from three-point range.

But he seemed to save his best for the postseason. Tomislav scored in double digits in four of five NCAA tournament games, including a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds in the second round win over VCU. He went for 16 points and seven rebounds in the Final Four loss to UConn on April 3rd. Tomislav averaged 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds during the tournament. Counting the two games in the 2025 tourney, he's averaging 14.7 points in seven career NCAA tournament games.

While Tomislav started in 32 of 33 games played, Zvonimir started just four times in the 36 games he played in this season. After spending a season each at Kentucky and Arkansas, the 7-foot-2 inch big brother flourished in a reserve role with the Illini, playing about 18 minutes off the bench and averaging two blocks per game despite the limited action. He finished the season with averages of 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Zvonimir turned in perhaps the highlight of the entire NCAA tournament in the VCU game when he blocked Lazar Djokovic's dunk attempt, then sprinted the length of the floor to take a bounce pass from Kylan Boswell and throw down a thunderous fast break dunk in a bang-bang sequence that immediately went viral. Veteran basketball television analyst Bill Raftery screaming "take me to the Balkans, please!" as thousands of Illini fans in the Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina roared their approval.

The 22-year old posted eight double-digit scoring nights, led by his 18 points in a win over Minnesota on January 17th.

The retention of the Ivisic brothers is considered a major piece as Underwood looks to build on the team's first Final Four appearance since 2005 and maintain their position as the winningest team in the Big Ten over the past seven seasons.