Andrej Stojakovic has been an impact scorer off the bench this season for Brad Underwood and Illinois men’s basketball, and is one of the top impact first-year transfers left in March Madness.
The No. 3-seeded Illini will need another impact game off the bench on Saturday, March 28 when they meet up with No. 9 Iowa in the Elite Eight out of the South Region, where they are looking for their first Final Four appearance since 1989.
He also comes from an NBA bloodline, as his father, Peja Stojakovic, is a former NBA small forward.
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Following a quiet first-round game vs. No. 14 Pennsylvania, Andrej Stojakovic has come alive for the Illini, scoring 21 points on an efficient 7-of-12 shooting from the field vs. No. 11 VCU in the second round. He then scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting in Illinois’ upset over No. 2 Houston.
He’s averaging 14.3 points per game in Illinois’ three tournament wins thus far, and has shot over 50% from the field, at 53.6%.
Here’s what to know:
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Are Andrej Stojakovic, Peja Stojakovic related?
Yes, the Fighting Illini guard is the son of the 13-year NBA veteran shooter Peja Stojakovic.
The elder Stojakovic played 13 seasons in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors and the Dallas Mavericks. Peja Stojakovic — taken with the No. 14 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by Sacramento — earned three All-Star selections with the Kings. He was also part of the 2010-11 Mavericks, who beat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosch and the Miami Heat in six games in the 2011 NBA Finals.
Stojakovic has been in the stands watching Illinois before the Men’s NCAA Tournament, which has helped the younger Stojakovic receive real-time feedback.
“Having my dad over there who has been through it means a lot to me,” Andrej Stojakovic said after an Illinois game back in November. “Looking at him during timeouts, whether he is yelling at me or encouraging me, after the game, he’s always going to have points for my teammates and myself.
“It means a lot for him to be here.”
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Andrej Stojakovic stats
Stojakovic enters the Elite Eight as Illinois’ third leading scorer with 13.9 points per game on 49.5% shooting from the field. He has scored eight games of at least 20 points going into Saturday’s regional final.
Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of Stojakovic’s stats in the Men’s NCAA Tournament this season:
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vs. Penn (First Round): 9 points on 3-of-8 shooting with three rebounds and an assist
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vs. VCU (Second Round): 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting with four rebounds, an assist and a block
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vs. Houston (Sweet 16): 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with two assists and a steal
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