For the second time this offseason, Andrej Stojakovic has announced he is returning to Illinois.Yes, the second time. Because apparently one commitment announcement was not dramatic enough for Illini fans, who were briefly allowed to feel peace before being launched directly back into offseason panic mode .Stojakovic originally announced in April that he would return to Champaign, giving Illinois a massive win for next season’s roster. Fans celebrated. Projected lineups were made. Folks began convincing themselves Illinois was back in business. Then, not long after, Stojakovic announced he would test the NBA Draft waters.Your heart always leads you back to Illinois. pic.twitter.com/NKpRVaFODg— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) May 27, 2026To be clear, that made complete sense. Stojakovic is a talented player, and getting feedback from NBA teams is a smart move. But for Illinois fans, “testing the waters” felt less like a professional development opportunity and more like being forced to watch someone slowly hover their cursor over the “transfer portal chaos” button.For weeks, Illini Nation waited. Every update was analyzed. Every quiet day felt suspicious. Every optimistic report was immediately balanced by some extremely online instigator saying, “I don’t like the vibes.” It was the full offseason experience: hope, fear, rinse and repeat.But on Wednesday, the final day for players to withdraw from the NBA Draft and maintain college eligibility, Stojakovic finally gave Illinois the answer it wanted. After receiving feedback and weighing his options, he announced that he would return to the Illini.His return is huge for Illini coach Brad Underwood and his group. Stojakovic gives Illinois a proven scorer, a big wing and a player who can create offense when possessions break down. He averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds last season, and his NCAA Tournament performance against Iowa showcased the all-around superstar who, at his best, he has the potential to be.Now Illinois gets Stojakovic back for another season – officially. The roster is loaded, the ceiling looks unlimited, and Illini fans can finally stop pretending they were totally calm the whole time.After one return announcement, one NBA Draft detour and several weeks of unnecessary stress, Stojakovic is back in orange and blue.And, as expected, social media was ecstatic over the news, and Illini Nation rejoiced with the knowledge that Champaign once again has a title contender.The retention is officially complete— Dariush Takhtehchian, M.D (@takhtehchianmd) May 27, 2026Yesssss. The retention reboot. #illini https://t.co/XPDFeVGl6F— Steffo H (@steffo1343) May 27, 2026— Carson Gourdie (@GourdieReport) May 27, 2026Run it back #illini pic.twitter.com/7DcFGenpvT— 🆃ⓐ🅹🅷 ♕ (@Recru1t1ng_Guru) May 27, 2026An elite talent is backIf he can improve his three-point shooting, I think Andrej Stojakovic has an All-American ceiling next season.— Dave Wischnowsky (@wischlist) May 27, 2026On a collision course for the Final FourBRB booking a hotel room in Detroit for early April #Illini https://t.co/iH1LCifyln— T.J. Carson #177331 (@toonboy92484) May 27, 2026He's back – again#Illinois G Andrej Stojakovic is returning to Illinois, per @JoeTipton pic.twitter.com/HbftjR3ne4— 𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖜 ✮ (@Illinois2Natty) May 27, 2026— Gameday Spirit | Illinois (@GamedaySpirit) May 28, 2026The Illini are LOADEDIllinois is a tier A national championship contender entering the 2026-27 season. Andrej Stojakovic, David Mirkovic, the Ivisic Bros, Jake Davis, an ELITE shotmaker in Stefan Vaaks, Quentin Coleman. Brad Underwood has a powerhouse of a team. Preseason Top 5.— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) May 28, 2026With the return of Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois has a top 5 roster in 2026-27. #Illini. G - Stefan VaaksG - Quentin ColemanF - Andrej StojakovicF - David MirkovicC - Tomislav IvisicF - Jake DavisC - Zvonimir IvisicG - Lucas Morrillohttps://t.co/MRgsN5LHij— Orange and Blue News (@IllinoisRivals) May 27, 2026Unless the new proposed eligibility standards flip College sports on a 180, Illinois will be awesome... again. Continuity, experience + reloaded talent.Stefan VaaksQuentin ColemanAndrej StojakovicDavid MirkovicTomislav IvisicZvonimir IvisicJake Davis https://t.co/zPXPXvhfXb pic.twitter.com/ojabT65DoA— Ryan Hammer🔨 (@ryanhammer09) May 27, 2026Big day for IllinoisAndrej Stojakovic set to decide on staying in the NBA Draft vs Return for his senior yearIllinois would be a Final 4 contender Yet again👀 pic.twitter.com/6py1TQiVL5— Dariush Takhtehchian, M.D (@takhtehchianmd) May 27, 2026Champaign is the place to be next seasonChills. Next season can’t get here fast enough. #illini https://t.co/2LkOOGczKv— ILLINI GIRLIE (@IlliniGirlie) May 28, 2026— Tristan Thomas (@TristanThomasTV) May 27, 2026Going to have a really fun year ahead for Illinois! https://t.co/Nf0Kep6NHy— HS Top Recruits (@HSTopRecruiting) May 27, 2026The best news possible#illini pic.twitter.com/lPKZvz732i— Illini Isaac (@IMAbrose) May 28, 2026Tell 'em, JonIllinois will now return five players who averaged 17.2 MPG or more from last season's team that reached the Final Four.An incredible level of retention in Champaign. https://t.co/cRbV57eK8a— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) May 28, 2026Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow