We hear it all the time: Illinois regularly has some of the best talent of any program in the country. But there’s a difference – albeit a slight one – between high-level college hoops talent and NBA prospects. Considering the Illini’s rationale behind their roster-building, though – positional size, shooting and intelligence – their players are essentially custom-built to thrive at the next level.
In a way, then, it’s hardly a shock that six Illini made ESPN’s updated 2027 NBA Draft Big Board, which was unveiled Thursday morning. Let’s break it down from an Illinois perspective:
Six Illini land on ESPN’s latest 2027 NBA Draft Big Board
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) shoots the ball against the UConn Huskies during the first half of a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
No. 81: Zvonimir Ivisic
Although Zvonimir Ivisic hasn’t been an ultra-productive college player, it’s still something of a surprise to find him so low in NBA Draft projections. He can shoot it from deep. He’s an elite rim protector. And he’s extremely athletic at his size. But he also shies away from contact and sometimes looks uninvested. We’ll see if that changes this season.
No. 80: Tomislav Ivisic
Silky jumper? Check. Great passer? Check. Dynamic in the post? Check. Tomislav Ivisic checks a lot of boxes for NBA scouts. But he’s also a subpar athlete and his pick-and-roll defense may be worrisome at the next level.
Tomi drops his second trey of the night!
📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/fz3VqXkPGe
— Illinois Men’s Basketball (@IlliniMBB) November 3, 2026No. 59: Andrej Stojakovic
Nothing has changed here. Andrej Stojakovic needs to improve his deep range to address the only glaring weakness as a pro prospect. If he does that, his stock will rise. If not, it won’t move. Also: If he shows substantial growth as a passer, that could slowly nudge him up draft boards.
No. 57: Stefan Vaaks
For Stefan Vaaks, it’s all about the intangibles. He can shoot the cover off the ball – and in any scenario. He’s also an underrated slasher and a superb passer. Offensively, he is a fairly polished product. And his positional size doesn’t hurt.
Interrupter.
Vaaks breaks up UIC’s pass and gets the bucket on the other side.
Watch on B1G+ pic.twitter.com/WuFJFy9dR0
— Illinois Men’s Basketball (@IlliniMBB) October 29, 2026
But how can he make up for his (relative) athletic shortcomings? Play harder. If his defense and rebounding improve by leaps and bounds this season, so will his draft stock. The early results have been promising.
No. 32: David Mirkovic
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) is fouled by Connecticut Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
NBA scouts are all over the place on David Mirkovic. As an athlete, Mirkovic leaves something to be desired. But nowadays, scouts are trending in one direction: If a player produces and he wins in college, then he’ll do the same at the next level.
If Mirkovic returns healthy (foot) and does everything the Illini coaching staff has implied he’s capable of, then he’ll be a borderline lottery pick – especially if he has made even incremental growth as an athlete.
No. 6: Quentin Coleman
The only player who received a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Woo in this edition of the Big Board, Quentin Coleman is “set for a major role thanks to his impact as a disruptive defender, outstanding rebounder and improving perimeter scorer,” wrote Woo, who went on to say that Coleman needs to “continue polishing his handle and shot creation” to be an on-ball player in the NBA.
PTS: 13
REB: 10
AST: 6
STL: 3
TO: 0
No. 3 @IlliniMBB freshman Quentin Coleman starred in his college debut 🤩 pic.twitter.com/qyqNfzdGyD
— Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) November 3, 2026
Woo isn’t wrong about Coleman’s all-around impact. But he seems to be underplaying Coleman’s offensive arsenal. Coleman has an ultra-tight handle and never struggles to create space. We’ll see how he fares against elite on-ball defenders – Duke’s Dame Sarr should be a nice test – but thus far Coleman’s offensive bag has been plenty deep.
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