Illinois opens at No. 6 in KenPom rankings for 2025-26 season
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois basketball will start the 2025-26 season with lofty expectations. The Illini debuted at No. 6 in the first KenPom rankings, released this week, placing Brad Underwood’s team among the nation’s elite.
“We’re in a good spot,” Illini coach Brad Underwood said last week at Big Ten Media Days. “We’ve got veteran leadership. That’s a big difference from last year when we had eleven new guys. We’re a little older. We have positional size, and I think we’re a very good shooting team.”
KenPom, the analytics site created by Ken Pomeroy, has become one of the sport’s most reliable barometers, weighing offensive and defensive efficiency, tempo, and strength of schedule. Illinois finished last season at No. 20 after a 22-12 campaign that ended in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. This year’s jump into the top 10 reflects both the talent returning and the headline additions from the transfer portal.
Sophomore forward Tomislav Ivisic and redshirt junior guard Kylan Boswell anchor the returning core. Ivisic flashed his potential as a freshman, averaging 8.7 points and 5.1 rebounds while showing the ability to stretch the floor. Boswell steps into the leadership role with the steady hand Illinois needs to run its offense.
The most notable offseason pickup is Andrej Stojakovic, a 6-foot-6 wing from California who brings immediate scoring punch. The son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, he has already drawn preseason All-Big Ten votes and is expected to be one of the team’s go-to players. Stojakovic is working his way back from an injury sustained this summer, however, and still hasn’t been cleared to practice.
Another addition to watch is Serbian guard Mihailo Petrovic, an athletic playmaker who could thrive in Underwood’s system. The Illini are still waiting on the NCAA to clear his eligibility, but if he’s available, he could make an instant impact.
Nationally, Illinois sits just behind Houston, Florida, Purdue, Kentucky, and Connecticut in KenPom’s initial rankings, and ahead of traditional powers like Duke, Gonzaga, and UCLA. Other analytics sites back up that placement: Bart Torvik’s projection system slotted the Illini seventh, while ESPN’s preseason Top 25 ranked them No. 16. In the annual Big Ten media poll, Illinois was picked to finish fourth, behind Purdue, Michigan, and UCLA. Purdue received 25 of 28 first-place votes, underscoring the challenge at the top of the conference.
No Illinois players landed on the official preseason All-Big Ten first or second teams, but both Stojakovic and Ivisic received votes. Petrovic even drew one vote for Big Ten Freshman of the Year, pending his eligibility status.
Illinois opens preseason play with an exhibition against Illinois State on Oct. 19 at State Farm Center, followed by a closed scrimmage at defending national champion Florida on Oct. 25. The regular season tips off Nov. 3 against Jackson State.
