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5:05 p.m. Update: Illinois sophomore guard Brandon Lee has entered the transfer portal. :( I will share my thoughts on this development tomorrow!
When did the Final Four feel like an actual reality for the 2025-26 Illinois Fighting Illini?
Well, that's easy, thanks to an incredible sequence of plays by Zvonimir Ivisic against Virginia Commonwealth in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament!
As VCU big man Lazar Djokovic drove down the right wing to try and dunk on the Illini early in the second half, Big Z elevated and emphatically sent back the attempted throwdown with a nasty one-handed block.
Picking up momentum like a gazelle in an open field, Big Z glided down court, filling a lane as senior guard Kylan Boswell spotted his teammate out of the corner of his eye.
Boswell fed the ball to Big Z, who took two long strides from just inside the three-point line, skied high in the sky and slammed the ball through the hoop without even touching rim, causing the Illini bench, including Zvonimir's more subdued twin Tomislav to erupt, and sending a message to the rest of the field that this Illinois team was serious this March.
That play sums up Big Z's impact during his first season in Champaign.
After two more heralded seasons at Kentucky and then Arkansas, Zvonimir committed to Illinois on the Saturday of the 2025 Final Four. At the time, I was a bit skeptical about the fit, though I did appreciate the opportunity for Zvonimir to play with his twin brother Tomi, who is four minutes younger. As was the case with David Mirkovic, whom I doubted would be able to take Morez Johnson's role, I was dead wrong about Zvonmir, who came in and was simply a great culture guy this season.
Big Z happily accepted a bench role this season, providing great energy and positivity. The stats were nothing that jumped out of the box score, but Z's length, shot-blocking presence and ability to move his feet were huge for the Illini. He also did an admirable job starting at the beginning of the season as Tomislav worked his way back from injury and illness.
After starting the year with a respectable three-point shot that kept defenses honest, Z really struggled the last month of the year, going two for his last 30, or something to that effect. Ironically, he shot the three much better when he was wearing his infamous black mask for a broken nose. Despite his shooting woes, Zvonimir did not pout. In fact, he is a low-key reason why this Illini team was so consistent all season long as he was a player who just moved onto the next play and did not worry about getting his stats.
If Illinois could get Big Z one lob dunk a game, that usually was a good indication that a run was coming. While Tomi's two layups gave Illinois distance against Iowa in the Elite Eight, Z's dunk off a Mirkovic lob a few possessions later is what seemingly made the Iowa game feel like it was over.
With Big Z announcing his return to Champaign this week, he will be at a program for consecutive seasons for the first time ever, as will be the case for Andrej Stojakovic. Expect Year Two jumps from both guys, with Z putting on more muscle.
Honestly, Zvonimir could have easily entered the portal for a third straight season and gotten a lot more money to start at another big program. Yet Z chose to stay, a reflection of how much this team likes playing with and being around each other.
Of course, playing basketball and going to the same college with a brother, let alone a twin, has to be awesome. It's something my younger brother and I wished would have happened for us, going to the U-of-I together and playing ball at IMPE, but life didn't work out that way, though it certainly ended up for the better.
As Z returns next season, it will be imperative to fix his three-point shot, with his release starting way too far from his right side, almost near the hip, for the latter half of the season. Zvonimir will also need to work on taking advantage of switches, specifically by being stronger with the ball in the post and looking to score when matched up against smaller opponents. Developing a more consistent half-hook over his right shoulder would be ideal. I remember seeing Z hit a sweeping right-handed hook toward the baseline last year during Arkansas' second round victory against St. John's, so the skill is there.
Defensively, Z was at its best when blocking shots as a trailer or from the side. He does need to work on his timing blocking shots straight on, as seen during the UCLA loss when Donovan Dent blew by him for a game-winning layup. Illinois could use some more consistent rebounding from him as well.
With Ben Humrichous gone, Illinois' frontcourt is not as deep, meaning that the coaching staff is going to need to find more time with Tomi and Z on the court together. We actually saw this as Illinois went more zone this season, with Z in the middle and Tomi on the block, or vice versa in other moments.
Overall, Illinois is extremely lucky to have both Ivisics back next season. Beyond being great players, their dynamic is really entertaining. Big Z is more extroverted, Tomi more introverted, though he has a sly sense of humor that is quite funny. Tomi seems to be harder on himself while Z is there to pick up his brother's spirits.
For Zvonimir, he seems to have a really good perspective on life. He has fun and doesn't take things so seriously, though he approaches the game the right way. He is also realizing that his future as a pro, possibly in the NBA, will be as a player who provides spot-minutes off the bench.
While there will be opportunities for much growth for Big Z next season, one thing that does not need to change is his uplifting spirit, which was a joy to watch this year and already makes Zvonimir one of the more memorable and likeable players to ever suit up for the Illini.
When did the Final Four feel like an actual reality for the 2025-26 Illinois Fighting Illini?
Well, that's easy, thanks to an incredible sequence of plays by Zvonimir Ivisic against Virginia Commonwealth in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament!
As VCU big man Lazar Djokovic drove down the right wing to try and dunk on the Illini early in the second half, Big Z elevated and emphatically sent back the attempted throwdown with a nasty one-handed block.
Picking up momentum like a gazelle in an open field, Big Z glided down court, filling a lane as senior guard Kylan Boswell spotted his teammate out of the corner of his eye.
Boswell fed the ball to Big Z, who took two long strides from just inside the three-point line, skied high in the sky and slammed the ball through the hoop without even touching rim, causing the Illini bench, including Zvonimir's more subdued twin Tomislav to erupt, and sending a message to the rest of the field that this Illinois team was serious this March.
That play sums up Big Z's impact during his first season in Champaign.
After two more heralded seasons at Kentucky and then Arkansas, Zvonimir committed to Illinois on the Saturday of the 2025 Final Four. At the time, I was a bit skeptical about the fit, though I did appreciate the opportunity for Zvonimir to play with his twin brother Tomi, who is four minutes younger. As was the case with David Mirkovic, whom I doubted would be able to take Morez Johnson's role, I was dead wrong about Zvonmir, who came in and was simply a great culture guy this season.
Big Z happily accepted a bench role this season, providing great energy and positivity. The stats were nothing that jumped out of the box score, but Z's length, shot-blocking presence and ability to move his feet were huge for the Illini. He also did an admirable job starting at the beginning of the season as Tomislav worked his way back from injury and illness.
After starting the year with a respectable three-point shot that kept defenses honest, Z really struggled the last month of the year, going two for his last 30, or something to that effect. Ironically, he shot the three much better when he was wearing his infamous black mask for a broken nose. Despite his shooting woes, Zvonimir did not pout. In fact, he is a low-key reason why this Illini team was so consistent all season long as he was a player who just moved onto the next play and did not worry about getting his stats.
If Illinois could get Big Z one lob dunk a game, that usually was a good indication that a run was coming. While Tomi's two layups gave Illinois distance against Iowa in the Elite Eight, Z's dunk off a Mirkovic lob a few possessions later is what seemingly made the Iowa game feel like it was over.
With Big Z announcing his return to Champaign this week, he will be at a program for consecutive seasons for the first time ever, as will be the case for Andrej Stojakovic. Expect Year Two jumps from both guys, with Z putting on more muscle.
Honestly, Zvonimir could have easily entered the portal for a third straight season and gotten a lot more money to start at another big program. Yet Z chose to stay, a reflection of how much this team likes playing with and being around each other.
Of course, playing basketball and going to the same college with a brother, let alone a twin, has to be awesome. It's something my younger brother and I wished would have happened for us, going to the U-of-I together and playing ball at IMPE, but life didn't work out that way, though it certainly ended up for the better.
As Z returns next season, it will be imperative to fix his three-point shot, with his release starting way too far from his right side, almost near the hip, for the latter half of the season. Zvonimir will also need to work on taking advantage of switches, specifically by being stronger with the ball in the post and looking to score when matched up against smaller opponents. Developing a more consistent half-hook over his right shoulder would be ideal. I remember seeing Z hit a sweeping right-handed hook toward the baseline last year during Arkansas' second round victory against St. John's, so the skill is there.
Defensively, Z was at its best when blocking shots as a trailer or from the side. He does need to work on his timing blocking shots straight on, as seen during the UCLA loss when Donovan Dent blew by him for a game-winning layup. Illinois could use some more consistent rebounding from him as well.
With Ben Humrichous gone, Illinois' frontcourt is not as deep, meaning that the coaching staff is going to need to find more time with Tomi and Z on the court together. We actually saw this as Illinois went more zone this season, with Z in the middle and Tomi on the block, or vice versa in other moments.
Overall, Illinois is extremely lucky to have both Ivisics back next season. Beyond being great players, their dynamic is really entertaining. Big Z is more extroverted, Tomi more introverted, though he has a sly sense of humor that is quite funny. Tomi seems to be harder on himself while Z is there to pick up his brother's spirits.
For Zvonimir, he seems to have a really good perspective on life. He has fun and doesn't take things so seriously, though he approaches the game the right way. He is also realizing that his future as a pro, possibly in the NBA, will be as a player who provides spot-minutes off the bench.
While there will be opportunities for much growth for Big Z next season, one thing that does not need to change is his uplifting spirit, which was a joy to watch this year and already makes Zvonimir one of the more memorable and likeable players to ever suit up for the Illini.
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