Tomislav Ivišić announced his return to Illinois first Saturday, posting a photo of himself in an Illini jersey to Instagram with the words “I’m back” in orange across the top.
Then, the 7-foot-1 center from Croatia delivered an even bigger bit of news via a social media video. His 7-foot-2 twin brother, Zvonimir, has committed to join him in Champaign next season after transferring from Arkansas.
The Ivišić brothers grew up playing the game together and spoke on the phone every day while they played the 2024-25 season separately. Now they’ll reunite to form an intriguing big-man duo for Illinois coach Brad Underwood.
In his first season playing college basketball, Tomislav, who was a sophomore in eligibility, averaged 13 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He was a driving force in the Illini’s success on both ends of the floor.
Zvonimir, who followed coach John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas to play his second season in the United States, averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds for a Razorbacks group that made the Sweet 16 this year. He announced his intention to transfer earlier during the portal window, and speculation followed that he might be looking to join his brother.
The dual Ivišić announcements were two of the bigger ones for an Illinois team that finished 22-13 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. But not all of the Illini will return.
Nearly halfway through the four-week spring transfer portal window for men’s and women’s college basketball, multiple Illinois players — and even more local players — have announced their status.
Here’s a look at some of the other notable departures, returners and explorers.
Kylan Boswell also will return to Champaign
Boswell’s announcement came in the form of a hype video on social media Wednesday: clips of the junior guard in an Illinois uniform making layups, 3-pointers and steals.
The caption simply read, “Run it back,” next to a pair of orange and blue hearts.
Thus Boswell officially signaled his intention to return to Illinois for a second season after transferring last offseason from Arizona.
Boswell will be back after averaging 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists and providing leadership to a young Illini team.
Such announcements of staying put for another year weren’t as widely necessary at one time. But with more than 1,000 Division I men’s basketball players entering the transfer portal in the first 11 days after it opened, according to The Athletic, they do give some peace of mind to fans, especially after some other Illini players left.
Illinois’ Morez Johnson Jr. and Tre White on the move
Much of the departure speculation around the Illini in the last couple of months has been whether guard Kasparas Jakučionis and forward Will Riley, both freshmen this year, will enter the NBA draft.
They have yet to make announcements, but Illinois did see Johnson and White enter the transfer portal.
Johnson, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward and the 2024 Mr. Basketball of Illinois at Thornton, averaged 7 points and 6.7 rebounds in a promising start that was interrupted by a broken wrist in mid-February. Ranked as the fifth-best player in the portal before the Final Four by The Athletic, Johnson announced on social media that he committed to Big Ten rival Michigan.
White, a 6-7 junior guard who transferred in this season from Louisville, started 31 games and averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. He committed to Kansas, according to On3.com.
Sophomore forward Carey Booth, who played minimally this season, transferred to Colorado State, and reserve sophomore guard Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn also announced he would enter the portal.
Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli to explore NBA draft
Martinelli had a breakout junior season, leading the Big Ten in scoring with 20.5 points per game and grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game.
Now the 6-7 forward from Glenview is entering his name in the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility “to ensure I make the best decision for my future and my family,” he wrote on social media.
His departure would be a blow to a Wildcats team that’s losing several seniors, but the exploration at a time when his stock is high also is sensible. Martinelli thanked God, his family and his Northwestern coaches, teammates and fans in his announcement.
“Thank you for believing in me, pushing me to grow and helping to shape me into the person and player I am today,” he wrote.
Illinois’ Ty Rodgers and Jake Davis announce their intentions to stay
Rodgers, a 6-6 wing, started as a sophomore on the 2023-24 Elite Eight team before redshirting this past season to develop his offensive game, Underwood said early in the season.
He announced his return to Champaign with a photo and the same caption as Ivišić: “I’m back.” The Thornton graduate averaged 6.2 points and 5.3 rebounds in 2023-24.
Davis, a 6-6 sophomore forward, averaged 3 points in 9.4 minutes per game. He made 22 3-pointers.
Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles delivers a shocker
Miles, a second-team All-American this season, was projected to be the No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft. But the redshirt junior guard instead decided to forgo the draft and enter the transfer portal.
It was a stunning move for the Irish, who were ranked among the best teams in the country all season before losing in the Sweet 16.
Notre Dame loses a player who averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds. Miles now gets to explore name, image and likeness deals elsewhere.
Loyola guard Jayden Dawson headed to Kansas
Dawson, a 6-4 junior from Omaha, Neb., led Loyola in scoring with 13.9 points per game and also averaged 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He made 86 3-pointers this season to help lead the Ramblers to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament.
He quickly signed with Kansas after entering the portal.
