CJ Moore, writing in The Athletic, has a pretty good take on the new look Illini Basketball squad.

How do you feel about the Illini? Do you feel they have a Final Four-caliber lineup? — Jeremy B.

I’m going to wait to see it before I go that far, but it’s promising. This is the furthest anyone has leaned into building a roster through international imports. UCLA’s 2023-24 team would be the next closest, but Mick Cronin ended up leaning way more on his American guys on that roster. Brad Underwood doesn’t really have that choice. This team is built for his international players to be the stars.

Mihailo Petrovic is the key. He’s 22 and an MVP candidate in the Adriatic League. One buddy familiar with that league told me his one concern is Petrovic is a burner and his speed is a real advantage in that league and might not be as much of one in the college game. But it’s a good league, and you have to be a real player to be an MVP candidate. To give you an idea of the level of competition, the leading scorer for the team above Petrovic’s in the standings (KK SC Derby) is Rasir Bolton, who averaged 10.1 points per game for Gonzaga in 2022-23 on a team that made the Elite Eight. Illinois’ Tomislav Ivisic played for Derby in 2023-24 and averaged 7.1 points per game in his final season. David Mirkovic, who was his teammate and was just signed by Illinois, is averaging 8.9 points this year. Ivisic just averaged 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in his first year at Illinois. These are real players who translate.

I’m interested to see what the frontcourt rotation looks like and if Underwood will try to play the Ivisic brothers together. Zvonimir Ivisic has shown flashes his first two seasons but has been inconsistent. Maybe playing alongside his brother will bring the best out of him, but it’s also possible he’s just the third big, and if that’s the case, that’s a nice luxury.

On the perimeter, returning Kylan Boswell and Ben Humrichous is a nice luxury. Jake Davis also has familiarity in the system. Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic is a proven scorer who played on a crummy team, and he could benefit from the talent around him. The two freshman guards are wild cards and will be a bonus if Illinois gets anything from them. Keaton Wagler is one who I know well because he played high school ball at my alma mater. He could be a year away, but he was a nice steal and is the type of skilled guard with size Underwood likes.

This is a different approach to roster building, and a lot of coaches are going to be paying close attention to how it works out. I love the willingness to go for it and try something different. Cannot wait to see how it all comes together.