Kylan Boswell suffered a fractured right hand during Monday’s practice session, leaving the Illinois Fighting Illini without the services of one of their best players until next month. Boswell brings so much to the table, not just scoring and leadership, but also defending. Obviously, someone needs to step up to fill the void for the Illini. Enter Andrej Stojakovic.
Illini coach Brad Underwood said it best: Probably Andrej’s best all around game since he’s been here, maybe ever” Take a look at this stat line:
Andrej Stojakovic today:
30 points
9 rebounds
1 assist
2 blocks
50% FG
4/7 3PM
8/8 FTM
0 turnovers
+28 +/-#11 Illinois beat Maryland 89-70 pic.twitter.com/bMoNLaV45f
— Daily Basketball Statlines (@DailyNBAStats) January 22, 2026
Stojakovic took on Boswell’s role/job of being trusted to guard the opposing team’s best scorer, with Underwood referring to this role change as becoming “a 1A defender, instead of a 1B.”
Andrej Stojakovic spojke of Underwood challenging him to become a better rebounder and defender this season.
“Showing him I can do it is something I take pride in,” Stojakovic said in postgame.
Andrej Stojakovic is the first Illinois player to score 30 against a B1G opponent since Terrence Shannon Jr. #illini pic.twitter.com/GkZFwQHZ1T
— 🆃ⓐ🅹🅷 ♕ (@Recru1t1ng_Guru) January 22, 2026
Underwood lauded Stojakovic’s development this season, as he later referred to him as someone who “in buy games, couldn’t even get a rebound.”
The Cal transfer and son of NBA legend Peja Stojakovic was the alpha dog on this night, but will this trend continue?
“‘t’s him, it’s going to be him for a lot of nights,” Underwood responded to a query on that exact topic.
Boswell was originally going to be assigned to Maryland’s David “Diggy” Coit, who just dropped 43 points (tied for the second most, by an individual player, in Maryland history) on Penn State this past weekend.
So Stojakovic knew that once Boswell got injured that he was going to draw that toug assignment.
He rose up to the challenge, and then some.
And the best part of it all, Stojakovic’s mom was on hand in person, to witness her son’s career night. This was her first trip to Champaign to see her son play.
“She’s the most important person is my life, by far,” he said about his mother.
She’s the peacemaker in my life. It’s amazing to see her here. she hasn’t seen me play in a long time, so it’s wonderful for me.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.