Andrej Stojakovic has thus far lived up to the legacy of his father, former NBA sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic, at the collegiate level, breaking out in a major way this past season. And on Monday, he made his long-awaited decision in the transfer portal as to where he will be playing in 2025.
Last year, Stojakovic averaged 17.9 points and 4.7 rebounds at Cal. But where he truly shined was in the ACC Tournament, averaging a ridiculous 33.0 points in his team’s two ACC Tournament matchups.
Naturally, Stojakovic’s play has made him a hot commodity in the transfer portal. The likes of North Carolina and Stanford, where he started his collegiate career, were in the mix to potentially land Stojakovic.
But instead, Stojakovic has opted to commit to play for Brad Underwood at the University of Illinois. issuing a statement on the matter retrieved by ESPN.
“I think the main reasons were pretty clear to my inner circle as a basketball fit,” Stojakovic said. “Coach Underwood has been very aggressive recruiting me from the start and constantly reiterating how much I’m wanted and needed as a basketball player there. They really believe I’m the missing piece to what they think is a national championship team.
“Their track record. Ayo Dosunmu, T.J. [Shannon], [Marcus] Domask, Will Riley, Kasparas [Jakucionis], bigger guards that are considered ball-handlers, that can relieve pressure for their teammates. I’m looking forward to being part of a team where I can bring the ball up and have shooters all around. I can also be a shooter, play on the wing, when someone else is bringing the ball up.”
As Stojakovic alluded to, Underwood has quickly developed the reputation of both being excellent at developing players for the next level while simultaneously producing winners at Illinois. Each of the last five seasons, Illinois has made the NCAA Tournament under Underwood.
Adding a player like Stojakovic to an already talented roster should go a long way in keeping that NCAA Tournament streak in tact. So regardless of whether Stojakovic one day does live up to his father’s legacy at the NBA level, it should be a ton of fun to watch how his career progresses at the college level in Illinois first.