California transfer Andrej Stojakovic, one of the premier talents in the college basketball transfer portal and the son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, announced his commitment to Illinois on Monday, telling ESPN of his decision.
Andrej Stojakovic Announces Transfer to Illinois Fighting Illini
Andrej Stojakovic, one of the bright spots on an otherwise dismal California Golden Bears roster, has announced his transfer to Illinois, where he’ll join Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini.
A highly regarded 6’7″ sophomore, he picked the Fighting Illini over offers from North Carolina and Stanford, where he originally began his college career.
Andrej Stojaković ➡️ Illinois 🔥
The Illini announced Stojaković will play his junior year in Champaign 👏 pic.twitter.com/KRycoZVU4e
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 28, 2025
“I think the main reasons were pretty clear to my inner circle as a basketball fit,” Stojakovic said. “Coach [Brad] 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.”
Stojakovic transferred to Cal last spring after a rocky freshman season at Stanford and thrived under head coach Mark Madsen. He averaged 17.9 points and 4.7 rebounds, finishing the season strong with back-to-back 30-point performances in the ACC tournament, where he shot 7-for-13 from three-point range.
Being able to be one of those guards that can handle the ball helped me a lot this past year. The confidence coach Madsen gave me, being able to be that ball-handler,” Stojakovic said. “I’m confident I can go to a top 25 team and do the same.”
A former McDonald’s All-American and top-25 recruit, Stojakovic is expected to bring immediate scoring and versatility to an Illinois team looking to make a deep NCAA tournament run.
Andrej Stojakovic Helps Underwood Rebuild Perimeter
Illinois needed to reload its roster this offseason, especially after talented guards Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley departed early in the NBA Draft. That left a glaring hole in the perimeter rotation—one Stojakovic is expected to fill immediately.
Interestingly, Stojakovic will also be part of one of the most internationally flavored teams in college basketball next season. Illinois’ roster will feature five players with Balkan heritage, as Stojakovic joins Serbians Mihailo Petrovic and David Mirkovic, along with Croatian brothers Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic.
KEEP READING: Why College Basketball Players Keep Transfer Options Open After Declaring for the NBA Draft
While Illinois’ offense looks promising, Stojakovic emphasized that the team’s success will depend on establishing a tougher identity on defense.
“I’m confident we can become one of the best offensive teams in the country, but it’s going to take a lot defensively,” Stojakovic said.
“We have to hone in on the little stuff. It’s going to start with the guards, [we] have to set a tone that’s going to maybe be surprising to some people. We’re ready to surprise people defensively and I think we’re going to do great things.”
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