By IlliniGuys Staff

April 26, 2026

(Cover photo courtesy Illinois Athletics)

CHAMPAIGN - Andrej Stojakovic made a splash on April 17 with a social media post announcing he's returning to run it back with the Fighting Illini basketball team next season.

But first, he'll spend some time evaluating his NBA value.

As first reported by ESPN's Jeff Borzello, the rising senior entered his name in the NBA Draft prior to Friday night's deadline. The 6-foot-7 wing will now spend the next few weeks going through the draft process with a deadline of May 27 to decide whether to stay in the draft or return to Illinois.

Stojakovic is expected to choose the latter, barring a development that would prompt him to choose otherwise. He finished second on the team in scoring this season with a 13.5 average, battling knee and ankle injuries throughout his first campaign with the team and becoming a key part of their first Final Four run in 21 years.

The son of former NBA champion and three-time All-Star Peja Stojakovic admitted to making great strides on the court this season after stops at Stanford and Cal and flourished in his first appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The former McDonalds All-American is projected as a late second round pick at best and many experts believe he needs to work on his three-point shooting to go along with an improving defensive game to raise his value. Stojakovic shot just 24 percent from the arc this season, a career-low.

He's the second Illini off this year's team to declare for the NBA Draft. Freshman Keaton Wagler, who was a consensus All-American and Jerry West Award winner, chose to end his collegiate career earlier this month. Wagler is widely considered to be a top 10 pick in June and is unlikely to change his mind.

If Stojakovic decides to spend his senior season with the Illini, he will be a focal point in a starting lineup that's considered one of the best in college basketball. Stojakovic's decision meant Illinois retained their top five players with remaining eligibility and his post spurred many in the national media to declare the Illini as a preseason top 5 team at worst.