Illinois is rolling into the 2026-27 season looking like a potential Top 5 team in the country with legit Final Four aspirations, especially after finally checking off that Final Four box last year. Despite a mid-summer foot surgery for breakout sophomore big man David Mirkovic, it’s been a surprisingly chill summer for coach Brad Underwood. The man got his work done early, pulling off one of the craziest feats in college hoops: retaining five key rotation players from a Final Four club in the transfer portal era. That’s just wild, man. This coaching staff truly believes they’re close to scaling that mountain and grabbing a championship, and you can see why.
The Final Four Hangover and a Fresh Start
After the Keaton Wagler-led ride to the Final Four, it’s gotta sting to remember that do-or-die loss to UConn, even with a hefty homecourt advantage back in Indianapolis. Underwood’s gotta be thinking about all those layups that rimmed out. But hey, that’s in the past. Now it’s all about stacking the deck for the next shot at the title. Underwood’s done it with a solid core of returners, a smart portal splash, and a six-man freshman class. The buzz is real: Illinois is set up for a monster season.
The Point Guard Puzzle and Vaaks’ Arrival
Here’s the kicker though: a Big 12 assistant told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, “Illinois would be my choice if they had reliable point guard play.” Oof. And they weren’t sold that freshman Quentin Coleman could be the guy. Talk about putting a spotlight on things early! Good thing Coleman isn’t slated to be the starting point guard, right? No, the man stepping into that massive role is Stefan Vaaks. This sophomore lead guard, all 6-foot-7 and 215 pounds of him, is a major part of the “Keaton Wagler Replacement Plan.” That’s a huge shoes to fill, replacing one of the best individual seasons in program history, but Vaaks is absolutely brimming with talent. He averaged nearly 16 points for Providence in his first college season. He’s big, he can hit pull-up 3s, tying for 12th nationally with Louisville lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. splashing 1.2 per game, and he’s got a serviceable 18 percent assist rate with some truly tantalizing live-dribble reads. Coach Underwood called him the “most talented player in the portal” for a reason.
But, and there’s always a “but,” Vaaks’ defense at Providence last year? Yeah, it was a disaster. Can he tighten that up and just be solid? That’s the real question facing him and this squad. Illinois enters the season with legitimate Final Four dreams. To make that happen, Vaaks’ defense needs to be on point. If he shores that up, this team is going to be straight fire, and the rest of college basketball better be ready for it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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