For a few weeks there, I checked my phone like a worried parent. Andrej Stojakovic had entered the NBA Draft, gone to the combine in Chicago, and told everyone he was “both feet in.” That phrase does something to an Illinois fan. It sits right in the chest.

Then, on Wednesday, he pulled out. He’s coming back to Champaign.

The combine actually went well for him. He led every prospect in the max vertical at 41.5 inches, which is the kind of number that makes you sit up straight. But the draft boards had him as a late second-round guy, and that math never adds up to leaving early. especially in the NIL era. So he’s staying.

The 6’ 7” frame and the athleticism are already there. The rest of the game isn’t finished yet, and now he gets another year to build it. Shoot a million threes, get better, and go in the first round in 2027. That’s the bet, and it’s the right one.

The roster is locked and loaded.