Illinois’ announcements came one by one over the course of three days in mid-April.
Freshman forward David Mirković revealed his return on a Twitch livestream with more than 3,000 viewers. Later that night, at coach Brad Underwood’s Kickin’ Cancer dinner and auction, junior forward Jake Davis told fans: “Why leave? I might as well just stay here.”
Junior center Tomislav Ivišić was next at the dinner, chugging a drink, burping and then announcing, “I’m back.” His twin brother, Zvonimir, followed, pretending to launch into a transfer portal announcement before declaring: “I’m playing. Run this (expletive) back.”
Junior wing Andrej Stojaković provided his announcement through the men’s basketball program’s social media two days later, and the Illini had five of the eight players who appeared in the Final Four back for the 2026-27 season. Stojaković since has revealed to ESPN that he will explore the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.
The returns — which had assistant coaches using the hashtag #TheRetention — along with signing a highly touted five-player freshman class meant the Illini had less to do in the transfer portal in April than many programs. But Illinois still had some comings and goings as it tries to construct a team that can return to the Final Four.
USA Today reported that 2,605 Division I men’s basketball players entered the portal during the April window, which closed April 21. Players in the portal still can make moves, but with most teams’ rosters taking shape, here’s a look at the returns, departures and additions for some local teams.
Illinois
Returning players: 6-9 F David Mirković, 7-1 C Tomislav Ivišić, 6-7 G Andrej Stojaković (announced return but is exploring NBA draft), 6-6 F Jake Davis, 7-2 C Zvonimir Ivišić, 6-10 C Jason Jakstys, 6-0 G Blake Fagbemi.
Underwood and his staff prioritized retention and persuaded five key players to likely return from the Final Four team. Mirković was a clear priority after he turned in a Big Ten all-freshman season, averaging 13.5 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Either Ivišić twin would have been sought after in the portal, but they chose to stick together and give the Illini two valuable, experienced 7-footers who can shoot and protect the rim.
Stojaković announced his return but later declared for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, ESPN reported. It’s likely he is going through the process for feedback before returning to Illinois. His departure would hurt because he provides a downhill scoring threat and strong defense. Davis brings back leadership and outside shooting prowess.
Both Tomislav Ivišić and Stojaković, who overcame injuries and illness in the regular season, turned in big NCAA Tournament performances, and with Mirković on board through a full offseason, the Illini will look to build on their postseason success.
Portal additions: 6-7 G Stefan Vaaks (Providence).
Vaaks was named to the Big East’s all-freshman team in 2025-26 after averaging 15.8 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds. He made 91 3-pointers and shot 35% from 3-point range. He provides another offensive weapon for Illinois after scoring in double figures in 29 of 31 games, though multiple analysts believe he needs work on his defense. The guard from Estonia, whom ESPN ranked the No. 10 player in the portal, announced his commitment to Illinois on April 12, and the Illini announced his signing Friday.
Departures: 6-6 G Keaton Wagler (NBA draft), 6-2 G Kylan Boswell (eligibility), 6-9 F Ben Humrichous (eligibility), 6-3 G AJ Redd (eligibility), 6-6 G/F Ty Rodgers (portal), 6-4 G Brandon Lee (portal), 6-2 G Mihailo Petrović (portal), 6-8 F Toni Bilić (portal).
Wagler told reporters earlier this month it was a “very tough decision” to leave Illinois after an All-America freshman season. But it also would have been surprising if he had passed up the NBA draft when he’s a projected top-10 pick. So the Illini will have to replace the player who became their centerpiece during the Big Ten season, averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
They’ll also be without two of their veteran leaders in Boswell and Humrichous, who are out of eligibility. The NCAA is pushing to change the rules to five seasons of eligibility over five years, but it is recommending that the new rules not be applied to players who completed their eligibility this school year. Boswell also has a shot to be drafted; ESPN ranked him the No. 54 prospect.
None of the portal entries made a notable impact on the 2025-26 team, but Rodgers was a starter two years earlier before two redshirt seasons.
Incoming freshmen: 6-4 G Quentin Coleman, 6-7 G Lucas Morillo, 6-7 F Zavier Zens, 6-4 G Ethan Brown, 6-9 F Landon Davis.
Illinois will need one or two freshmen to step up and play a significant role next season, though the staff can’t realistically expect a Wagler-like season out of anyone entering the summer. Coleman is a five-star recruit ranked No. 27 nationally, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and can score at all three levels. In a statement, Underwood called him an elite competitor who can elevate his teammates’ play. Morillo, ranked No. 50 nationally, brings positional size, versatility and strong passing and rebounding.
Northwestern
Returning players: 6-6 G Angelo Ciaravino, 6-3 G Jake West, 6-3 G Phoenix Gill.
After a 15-win season, the Wildcats will look almost completely different in 2026-27, but they will have a few holdovers. Ciaravino, a Chicago native, will return for his third season in Evanston after starting 18 games last season. He averaged 6.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists as a sophomore. West settled in as the starting point guard in the second half of his first season and averaged 5.3 points and 2.8 assists. He had some of his biggest games late in the season, including 18 points, four assists and three rebounds in an upset of Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament. Gill played just 38 minutes over 11 games as a freshman.
Portal additions: 6-7 F Jack Karasinski (Bellarmine), 6-10 F Luke McEldon (Mount St. Mary’s), 6-8 F Colin Smith (UC Santa Barbara), 6-5 G LA Pratt (Northeastern), 6-8 F Okku Federiko (Drake), 6-4 G Aleksej Kostić (BYU).
Coach Chris Collins, who after the Big Ten Tournament talked about a need for institutional investment, is mostly counting on midmajor players to make a successful leap to Big Ten play. Karasinski is the highest-rated player in the group, coming in at No. 155 in On3.com’s portal rankings. He averaged 21.7 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 56% from the field in an all-conference season. In a statement, Collins touted his efficiency and ability to score at all three levels.
McEldon, also ranked in the top 200, brings size and physicality. Kostić is the outlier in this group, a freshman reserve from Austria coming from a 23-win BYU team. He averaged 4.4 points but played more down the stretch, including starting the last five games.
Departures: 6-7 F Nick Martinelli (eligibility), 6-6 G Justin Mullins (eligibility), 6-8 F Tre Singleton (portal, Iowa State), 6-11 F Arrinten Page (portal, Providence), 5-10 G Jayden Reid (portal, Memphis), 6-2 G Jordan Clayton (portal, Massachusetts), 6-3 G K.J. Windham (portal, James Madison), 6-9 F Tyler Kropp (portal, Washington State), 6-6 G Max Green (portal, Charleston), 7-0 F Cade Bennerman (portal, North Carolina), 6-6 G Blake Smith (portal, Oral Roberts).
Replacing Martinelli, the two-time Big Ten scoring leader, was always going to be a big task, but Collins had to do much more than that this offseason with nine players entering the portal. Some turnover was expected, especially given Collins’ end-of-season comments about needing to do a better job of roster construction.
Singleton’s move to Iowa State was the biggest blow. He was a four-star prospect ranked No. 87 nationally out of high school, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings, and finished his freshman season with 7.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Page and Reid were portal pickups last offseason and stayed at Northwestern for just one season.
Incoming freshmen: 6-6 G Jayden Hodge, 7-2 C Symon Ghai.
The Wildcats will move on from one highly rated recruit and bring in another. Hodge joins Northwestern as the No. 79 prospect in the country, making him the highest-ranked NU signee in the modern recruiting era. Ghai was the 30th-ranked center in the country out of high school in Orlando, Fla.
Notre Dame
Returning players: 6-4 G Braeden Shrewsberry, 6-10 F Brady Koehler, 6-4 G Logan Imes, 6-4 G Brady Stevens, 6-11 C Tommy Ahneman, 6-7 F Luke Devine.
The Irish lost their top three scorers to the portal, but Shrewsberry, the son of coach Micah Shrewsberry, returns after averaging 11.9 points and 3.1 rebounds. He made 88 3-pointers, shooting 40% from deep. Koehler and Imes each started at least 10 games. Ahneman didn’t play after left knee surgery in the fall.
Portal additions: 6-10 C Logan Duncomb (Winthrop), 6-5 G/F Ethan Roberts (Penn), 6-6 G Devin Brown (Davidson), 6-9 F Bryce Dortch (Rutgers), 6-0 G Braeden Smith (Gonzaga).
Duncomb is the highest-rated of the transfers, ranked No. 63 by ESPN. He was the Big South Player of the Year in a breakout fifth season in 2025-26, averaging 18.3 points and 8.9 rebounds. Roberts was a second-team All-Ivy League player and the leading scorer for NCAA Tournament qualifier Penn. Smith is the other top-300 portal player. He was the Patriot League Player of the Year at Colgate in 2023-24. He averaged 5.1 points, 3.6 assists and 2.2 rebounds for Gonzaga.
Departures: 6-0 G Markus Burton (portal, Indiana), 6-7 G Jalen Haralson (portal, Tennessee), 6-5 G Cole Certa (portal, Clemson), 6-7 F Ryder Frost (portal, George Washington), 6-6 G Sir Mohammed (portal), 6-11 F Garrett Sundra (portal, James Madison), 6-8 F Carson Towt (eligibility), 6-9 F Matthew MacLellan (eligibility), 6-10 F Kebba Njie (eligibility).
Notre Dame took a big hit in the portal, most notably losing Burton, whom ESPN ranked as the 18th-best player in the portal. Burton averaged 18.5 points in the first 10 games before undergoing season-ending ankle surgery. ESPN ranked Haralson, a former McDonald’s All-American who averaged 16.2 points as a freshman, as the No. 28 player in the portal.
Incoming freshmen: 6-3 G Jonathan Sanderson, 7-0 C Gan-Erdene Solongo, 6-5 G Nick Shrewsberry.
Sanderson, the son of Notre Dame strength coach Jon Sanderson, is the No. 71 player nationally in the Class of 2026, per the 247Sports composite rankings, and the sixth-best point guard in the class. He was the Gatorade player of the year in Tennessee in 2024-25. Sanderson’s family became the legal guardians of Solongo, who is from Mongolia, so that he could play in the United States in high school. He is ranked No. 146. Shrewsberry is the younger son of coach Micah Shrewsberry.
DePaul
Returning players: 6-2 G Layden Blocker, 6-6 G Kruz McClure, 6-10 F Théo Pierre-Justin, 7-2 C Fabián Flores, 6-8 G Amsal Delalić, 6-1 G Nate Kasher, 6-7 F Jonas Johnson.
Blocker, who will be a senior in his third season at DePaul, is the most prominent returner after averaging 11.1 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals last season. Pierre-Justin started 22 games, averaging four points and 2.6 rebounds, while McClure averaged five points as a freshman.
Portal additions: 7-0 C Magoon Gwath (San Diego State), 6-5 G Ade Popoola (Tulsa), 6-3 G Kahmare Holmes (Wofford), 7-0 C Wilson Jacques (Fresno State), 6-6 G Koree Cotton (UTRGV), 6-5 G Noah Meeusen (Arizona State).
DePaul’s portal class drew some national attention, with On3.com ranking it the 17th-best in the country. Headlining the group is Gwath, a top-100 portal player who was the Mountain West freshman and defensive player of the year two seasons ago. He averaged 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 2025-26 and totaled 37 blocks. Popoola averaged 10.8 points and made 99 3-pointers, the second-most in Tulsa history. Holmes was a first-team All-Southern Conference player, while Jacques broke Fresno State’s freshman rebounding record with 8.8 per game.
Departures: 6-7 G CJ Gunn (eligibility), 6-8 F NJ Benson (eligibility), 6-8 F Kaleb Banks (eligibility), 6-3 G RJ Smith (portal, UC Santa Barbara), 6-3 G Brandon Maclin (eligibility), 6-8 F Jeremy Lorenz (portal, St. Thomas), 7-1 C Isaiah Medina (portal, Missouri State), 6-2 G Ilija Milijašević (portal), 7-1 C Khaman Maker (portal).
Gunn and Benson were critical in helping coach Chris Holtmann begin his rebuild over the last two seasons and were the leading scorers in 2025-26. Gunn made 56 3-pointers, while Benson averaged 7.6 rebounds. Maclin also averaged double-digit scoring.
Incoming freshmen: 6-8 F Noah Smith, 6-10 F Andrew Jensen, 6-5 G Mason Lockett IV.
Smith, from Plainfield, Ind., joins the Blue Demons as the No. 141 recruit in the country, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Lockett played at Oswego East.
Other notable moves
- Loyola forward Miles Rubin, a 6-9 junior from Simeon and the Ramblers’ centerpiece last season, transferred to Tennessee. But Loyola also drew in several ranked portal players, led by 6-5 former Boston College guard Donald Hand Jr.
- Former Indiana and Ohio State point guard Gabe Cupps transferred to Illinois-Chicago.
- Illinois State leaders Chase Walker and Johnny Kinziger announced they will return to the Redbirds for their senior seasons. But Ty’Reek Coleman, a freshman guard from Waubonsie Valley, signed with Iowa.
