CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Defense wins championships.
The age-old saying may end up holding some validity for the Illinois Fighting Illini, who are fresh off a Final Four berth and chasing their first ever national championship.
Head coach Brad Underwood’s 2026-27 roster looks a lot different than it did a year ago, however, something that will impact the team’s defensive identity.
“I think we’re more athletic, I think we’re bigger, I think we’re longer,” Underwood said. “I think our concepts are a little bit
different, I think we’re trying to be a little more aggressive.”
Illinois defensive coordinator and assistant coach Camryn Crocker recognizes those differences as potential strengths for his team’s defense.
“It’s all going to be about containing, finding ways to protect the rim, and then using that length and athleticism with intelligence to play good team defense,” Crocker said.
Both coaches emphasized that while the team will look to make jumps on opponents, they won’t do so in a way that comes back to bite them.
The Illini will be sticking to their main defensive identity, taking away layups from opposing teams and forcing them into taking tough shots.
But they’ll do so without their top perimeter defender from a season ago, Kylan Boswell, who has since signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets.
Replacing a talent like Boswell won’t be easy, but it’s a challenge the Illini have already been working at overcoming.
“It’s not a one-for-one replacement at all, but you know, we’ll guard collectively and this team has different strengths than last year, so it’s about finding out what our superpower is going to be,” Crocker said.
One name that’s been making waves in terms of perimeter defense has been senior guard Andrej Stojakovic, someone who has gotten bigger, stronger and more confident according to his head coach.
The biggest thing that Stojakovic believes can help him take the next step as a defender in his second season with the Illini is picking up right where he left off.
“Continuing to show that I’m aggressive at the point of attack, pressure on the ball, things that gave me that motivation at the end of the season when things ramped up and we were in that state of ultra-focus,” Stojakovic said.
Another key piece for Illinois is going to be fifth-year center Zvonimir Ivisic, who will be protecting the rim down low.
Last year, Ivisic finished second in the Big Ten in blocks per game with 1.9, compiling 72 blocks over the course of the season.
When asked about what he’s looking to do this season on the defensive end, the 7’2” big man kept it simple.
“Block more shots,” Ivisic said with a smirk.
Crocker, on the other hand, got a little bit more specific about his impact.
“It’s important for everybody on our team to understand that it’s their job to be a rim protector… but don’t get me wrong, you have Z on your team, it makes everybody’s job easier,” Crocker said.
Underwood is looking to take this team to heights that they’ve never reached in the program’s illustrious history.
And from last year’s experience, it takes being a strong defensive team.
“I’m excited about what this group can become defensively,” Underwood said. “There’s no doubt what our run was about late in the year, we got really good defensively.”
