Illinois Hoops Recruiting Thread

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#328      
illiniguy24
Hey if Auburn and others can have a roster full of 22-24 year olds, we can have a couple as well.

What a signing from Brad & co…

We are over here almost in a panic and they had it under control as usual the whole time.

Not sure about defense but it should be another fun year of betting the over
 
#330      
Iamgroot
Im still holding out hope we draft offensive lineman in the 1st and get a rb in the 2nd along with defensive lineman with other 2nd and possibly draft a safety or wr with our 3rd rounder.what your draft board hopes?
 
#332      
Sedino
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#335      
ChiefGritty
#337      
New Creation
Not sure I am enjoying the direction of the recruits that are coming to the Illini. How long until Brad no longer recruits American born players? This is now becoming a professional Euro club team, state side. to be honest.. Brad better win with this pivot to players who only look and play a certain way..

Alarm bells are ringing..

PS.. I know most of you are going to hate this take.. just giving my opinion. I want to go back to the Illinois based stud players who care about ILLINOIS on their chest.. can we find those again? Brad really is putting his entire strategy on European players.. When is the last time a Euro Club team beat a 1 top 50-college team while their were on their Overseas trip? I mean, we would need the World Nike Team from a couple weeks ago to even be completive in the NCAA.. the US Nike team had 3 DUKE commits alone..

Here are the final 4 teams from this last season. DUKE, HOUSTON, FLORIDA, AUBURN

Florida - Conclusion: No European-born players identified on Florida’s Final Four roster.

Duke - Conclusion: No European-born players identified on Duke’s Final Four roster.

Houston - Conclusion: No European-born players confirmed on Houston’s Final Four roster. Sharp is likely U.S.-born despite European eligibility.

Auburn - Conclusion: No European-born players identified on Auburn’s Final Four roster.

The absence of European-born players in the 2025 Final Four is notable, given the global influx in NCAA basketball (11% of players were foreign-born in 2016–17). The chalk-heavy tournament favored blue-blood programs with domestic stars like Flagg, Clayton, and Broome. For comparison, European players like Danny Wolf (Michigan) and Zvonimir Ivisic (Arkansas) were close, reaching the Elite Eight and Sweet 16, respectively, but fell short of the Final Four.

Here are all the Euro born players that made the NCCA last year.

European-Born Players in the 2025 NCAA Tournament​

The FIBA Basketball source lists 10 European-born players who participated in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, providing their names, countries of origin, teams, and key details. Below, I detail each player, their team, country, and how far their team advanced, based on the provided sources and logical deductions from tournament outcomes.
  1. Augustas Marciulionis
    • Country: Lithuania
    • Team: Saint Mary’s (WCC)
    • Tournament Progress: Saint Mary’s, likely a mid-seed (common for WCC champions), did not advance past the early rounds. The source notes Marciulionis as the WCC Player of the Year, but Saint Mary’s is not mentioned among Sweet 16 or later teams, which were all Power Four. Given the lack of upsets and no mid-major teams in the Sweet 16, Saint Mary’s likely exited in the First Round or Second Round.
    • Details: Born April 1, 2005, 19 years old, 2.05m (6ft 9in), sophomore. Named WCC Player of the Year, expected to be a top player at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025.
  2. Alvaro Folgueiras
    • Country: Spain
    • Team: Robert Morris (Horizon League)
    • Tournament Progress: Robert Morris earned their first NCAA Tournament bid in a decade as Horizon League champions, securing an automatic bid. As a smaller conference team, they were likely a No. 15 or No. 16 seed. With no top-four seeds losing in the First Round, Robert Morris likely lost in the First Round.
    • Details: Born April 1, 2005, 19 years old, 2.05m (6ft 9in), sophomore. Named Horizon League Player of the Year, averaged 14.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
  3. Danny Wolf
    • Country: Israel
    • Team: Michigan (Big Ten)
    • Tournament Progress: Michigan won the Big Ten conference title and reached the Elite Eight, where they lost to Auburn. The source confirms Wolf’s impact as a transfer from Yale, helping Michigan secure their first conference title since 2018.
    • Details: Born May 5, 2004, 20 years old, 2.13m (7ft 0in), junior. A first-round prospect for the 2025 NBA Draft, known for rebounding, rim protection, and perimeter skills.
  4. Bogdan Demin
    • Country: Serbia
    • Team: BYU (Big 12)
    • Tournament Progress: BYU advanced to the Second Round, surviving a game against Wisconsin. However, they did not reach the Sweet 16, as the Sweet 16 was exclusively Power Four teams, and BYU is not listed among them.
    • Details: Born 2005, 18 years old, 2.03m (6ft 8in), freshman. A former Real Madrid prospect, noted as a point forward and potential lottery pick for the 2025 NBA Draft.
  5. Owen Aquino
    • Country: Poland
    • Team: Liberty (C-USA)
    • Tournament Progress: Liberty, as C-USA champions, earned an automatic bid, likely as a No. 13–15 seed. With no top-four seeds losing in the First Round, Liberty likely exited in the First Round.
    • Details: Not detailed in the source beyond name and team, but noted as a European standout.
  6. Kezza Giffa
    • Country: France
    • Team: High Point (Big South)
    • Tournament Progress: High Point, a Big South champion, made their tournament debut, likely as a No. 16 seed. They likely lost in the First Round, given the lack of upsets.
    • Details: Not detailed in the source beyond name and team, but noted as a European standout.
  7. Vladislav Goldin
    • Country: Russia
    • Team: Michigan (Big Ten)
    • Tournament Progress: As with Danny Wolf, Michigan reached the Elite Eight, losing to Auburn.
    • Details: Not detailed in the source beyond name and team, but noted as a European standout, likely a contributor alongside Wolf.
  8. Zvonimir Ivisic
    • Country: Croatia
    • Team: Arkansas (SEC)
    • Tournament Progress: Arkansas, a No. 10 seed, reached the Sweet 16, the only team higher than a No. 6 seed to do so. They lost to Texas Tech in overtime.
    • Details: Born 2003, 21 years old, 2.16m (7ft 1in), sophomore. Known for interior finishing, rebounding, post-passing, and 34.6% three-point shooting.
  9. Nordin Kapic
    • Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Team: UC San Diego (Big West)
    • Tournament Progress: UC San Diego, a Big West champion, made their tournament debut, likely as a No. 15 or No. 16 seed. They likely lost in the First Round, given the lack of upsets.
    • Details: Not detailed in the source beyond name and team, but noted as a European standout.
  10. Viktor Lakhin
    • Country: Russia
    • Team: Clemson (ACC)
    • Tournament Progress: Clemson’s exact progress is not detailed in the sources, but the ACC had only four bids, and none reached the Sweet 16 (which was all Power Four, including ACC). Clemson likely exited in the First Round or Second Round, as they are not mentioned among later rounds.
    • Details: Not detailed in the source beyond name and team, but noted as a European standout.
  11. Igor Milicic Jr.
    • Country: Croatia
    • Team: Charlotte (American)
    • Tournament Progress: Charlotte, likely an American Athletic Conference team, is not mentioned among Sweet 16 or later teams. As a mid-major, they likely exited in the First Round, especially given the lack of upsets.
    • Details: Not detailed in the source beyond name and team, but noted as a European standout.
  12. Kasparas Jakucionis
    • Country: Lithuania
    • Team: Illinois (Big Ten)
    • Tournament Progress: Illinois is noted as a talented team with potential to outperform their seeding. However, they are not listed in the Sweet 16 (all Power Four, including Big Ten). Illinois likely reached the Second Round or possibly the Sweet 16 but did not advance further, as only Michigan (Big Ten) reached the Elite Eight.
    • Details: Born May 29, 2006, 18 years old, 1.98m (6ft 6in), freshman. Named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, leading scorer and playmaker for Illinois.

Total Count and Summary​

  • Total European-Born Players: 12
  • Countries Represented: Lithuania (2), Spain (1), Israel (1), Serbia (1), Poland (1), France (1), Russia (2), Croatia (2), Bosnia and Herzegovina (1)
  • Team Progress Summary:
    • Elite Eight: Michigan (Danny Wolf, Vladislav Goldin)
    • Sweet 16: Arkansas (Zvonimir Ivisic)
    • Second Round: BYU (Bogdan Demin), Illinois (Kasparas Jakucionis, possible)
    • First Round: Robert Morris (Alvaro Folgueiras), Liberty (Owen Aquino), High Point (Kezza Giffa), UC San Diego (Nordin Kapic), Charlotte (Igor Milicic Jr.), Saint Mary’s (Augustas Marciulionis, possible), Clemson (Viktor Lakhin, possible)

Final Answer​

  • Number of European Players: 12
  • Details:
    • Augustas Marciulionis (Lithuania, Saint Mary’s): First or Second Round
    • Alvaro Folgueiras (Spain, Robert Morris): First Round
    • Danny Wolf (Israel, Michigan): Elite Eight
    • Bogdan Demin (Serbia, BYU): Second Round
    • Owen Aquino (Poland, Liberty): First Round
    • Kezza Giffa (France, High Point): First Round
    • Vladislav Goldin (Russia, Michigan): Elite Eight
    • Zvonimir Ivisic (Croatia, Arkansas): Sweet 16
    • Nordin Kapic (Bosnia, UC San Diego): First Round
    • Viktor Lakhin (Russia, Clemson): First or Second Round
    • Igor Milicic Jr. (Croatia, Charlotte): First Round
    • Kasparas Jakucionis (Lithuania, Illinois): Second Round
 
#347      
SCDerby
ChiefGritty said:
You sir are a very valuable poster now!

Petrovic is not going to be an NBA prospect just due to lack of measurables most likely, but this is a really, really good basketball player. Pick your undersized college floor general as a comp and then imagine what they would be like the year after their senior year if they had spent all their hours working on their game instead of going to class the prior four years.

Come on. No way the NCAA allows this.

If they do, schools should stop bothering going to AAU tournaments. This will be the whole marketplace.
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I'm here for all the questions because to understand how and why this is all happening you need to understand landscape and power players in European basketball.

One of them (probably the biggest one) is an agent of all these guys, think NBA Rich Paul but somehow more powerful. Petrovic, Mirkovic, both Ivisic twins are his clients, heck even Peja Stojakovic have connections to him. He also holds one of the biggest talent academies in Europe where he plucks players from that region (Balkans) and some from outside willing to come and work and compete in pro league against grown men while getting opportunity and minutes, something that is very rare for a young player in Europe to get, regardless how talented and good you are - your role will depend on how you produce against those grown men with plenty of things going against you not even counting lack of experience. Most of them just want an opportunity to showcase their game and no disrespect, most of them will come rather to play against guys their age than get bullied by older players and screwed on every 50-50 call against them.

Whats good for Illini is establishing some kind of cooperation with this guy, because he can get things done and fast. I'd look for Underwood to be a guest on annual coaching clinic organized in Serbia soon. Forging more connections with people there also helped Kentucky who got Petrovic's teammate from this season Andrija Jelavic commited (nice stretch PF with ball skills, fluid game and athleticism). Calipari was a guest there and less than a month later Zvonimir Ivisic commited to Kentucky to play for him. People are catching on fast but its good to get there earlier, think euro guys come kinda cheaper than portal players especially considering some money thrown around for players which really didnt showed much going around asking for some crazy $$. Ex-Yugoslavia is popular among them because they likely wont ask much, they've basketball culture on lock most of them are players with good fundamentals and it doesnt hurt thats place where one of the tallest people in Europe live. Average height for men where i live is something more than 6ft (I'm 6'6'' and yet im not even tallest guy in my friend group).
 
#349      
Krombopulos_Michael
CDRUSN said:
Well fellow Illini, we are now officially on the cutting edge of Serbo-Croation athletic excellence. We can even shout out plays in Slavic languages like "Cut to the basket!" with our opponents having no idea what was said. What's next, is the Yugo making a comeback? I am excited to see where this trend takes us. We are running circles around other programs with our Eastern European pipeline.
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