March Madness is now over and the transfer portal is open, so you know what that means, Illini basketball fans- the silly season is here. It’s time for the first 2026 edition of Illini basketball transfer talk, and we have items on three different players: John Blackwell, Mihailo Petrovic and Toni Bilic. By the way, and this is no surprise here, Keaton Wagler has officially declared for the NBA Draft.
We knew Wagler was one-and-done for awhile, and you can look at where we have him slotted to go in our latest mock draft.
Wagler set program freshman records in the following categories: total points (663), scoring average (17.9 ppg), 20-point games (11), field goals (202), three-pointers (87), free throws (172), starts (37), minutes (1,254) and wins (28)
2025-26 End of Season Illini Exclusives
Keaton Wagler Mihailo Petrovic Jake Davis Andrej Stojakovic (interview conducted in small group format)
John Blackwell
With Wagler’s departure, you now have a very big hole to fill at shooting guard, with Wagler literally winning the Jerry West award, which is bestowed upon the nation’s best player at that position.
You also need to figure out who the new leading scorer/alpha dog is going to be for 2026-27.
John Blackwell, who averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals last season with the Wisconsin Badgers last season, can do all of those things. And if you can’t beat ’em, sign ’em away right?
247Sports’ Travis Branham reported this week that Blackwell was down to his final two:
Illinois and Duke. Meanwhile DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony posrted on Twitter yesterday that this is not the case, actually.
Their report cites Alabama, Arizona, Louisville and UCLA all still being in the mix; in addition to the Illini and Blue Devils. Givony cites sources from Blackwell’s agency, and well, one must always be a bit skeptical then.
Maybe you’ve heard the phrase “agent-driven” when it comes to news stories? Well, this phrase is certainly a big euphemism, which often does a lot of metaphorical heavy lifting.
Blackwell also declared for the NBA draft when he entered the portal, so it’s not entirely certain he’s coming back to play college basketball for another season. Of course, when he declared for the draft, he retained eligibility, so he’s also testing the waters.
Whatever John Blackwell decides to do, he is the top rated SG and number two overall player in the portal, so he’s as prized an asset as it gets.
Mihailo Petrovic
Speaking of testing the waters, it is possible that Petrovic is doing just that by entering the portal. However, it’s probably more likely he’s gone. And that’s too bad, because he wears #77, which is as legendary a jersey number as you’ll find in Illini athletics (speaking of the football side of course).
Petrovic averaged 1.6 points per game and 5.7 minutes per game in 19 games this past season, and he’ll have two years of collegiate eligibility left. Honestly, it feels like he played in far fewer games than that.
He was the first Illini basketball player to enter the portal.
Toni Bilic
You may have forgotten this guy was on the team, as he joined in midseason, and did so under the agreement that he would participate in games. Bilic joined the Illini to practice with them, and to focus on strength training and development.
He now follows Petrovic into the portal. The 6-8 forward was classified as a sophomore this past season, after playing three seasons, 2022-23 to 2024-25, with KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb in the Premier League in Croatia.
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, Ratings and RG. 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.