Andrej Stojakovic announced on Twitter that he will take his name out of the draft pool and return to Illinois for his senior season. Stojakovic said at the combine that he had “both feet in” regarding the draft process, but he also never gave up on the idea of staying in school and helping the Illini return to the Final Four in 2027, Colleen Kane of The Chicago Tribune writes in a subscriber-only piece.
“That’s the goal — go back to the Final Four and then strive for a national championship,” Stojakovic said during combine week. “Understanding what we have back at Illinois is extremely special, I’ve just got to make the right decision.”
Another year in college could improve Stojakovic’s draft prospects, Kane adds. The 6’7″ guard averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his first season at Illinois after transferring from California, but while he shot 50% from the field he only connected at 24.4% from beyond the arc. He was projected to go 50th in ESPN’s latest mock draft, and Kane states that he’ll have to expand his scoring range if he hopes to receive first-round consideration next year.
“Another year of proving what I can do, coming back even more ready next year if I do decide to go to school,” Stojakovic said during the combine. “One thing I showed this year is being able to adjust my role and make an impact when I’m not having the ball constantly like I’m used to it.”
Billy Richmond of Arkansas will also exit the draft and return to school for his junior season, agent Bill Duffy tells Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 (Twitter link). The 6’5″ forward averaged 11.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 37 games this year and earned a spot on the SEC’s All-Defensive Team.
Richmond was projected as the 53rd pick by ESPN.
The deadline for players to withdraw from the draft and maintain their college eligibility is tonight at 11:59 pm ET.