The Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team has become a preseason media darling based on projections and reports including a recent one from Bleacher Report scout Jonathan Wasserman that listed seven of its players on the latest NBA big board. 

On Thursday, reporter Scott Richey of the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette shared a piece of bad news on the men's basketball front as he revealed that one of Illinois' best players, center Tomislav Ivisic, was stuck overseas and working on finding a way to return. 

The Ubben Basketball Complex at the University of Urbana-Champaign opened on Monday of this week while Fighting Illini basketball players took the court. 

One player who didn't make it was Tomislav Ivisic, who was stuck in Croatia where he originally moved with his twin brother Zvonimir as a teenager to pursue a basketball career. 

Illinois coach Brad Underwood broke the news to Richey on Wednesday afternoon prior to the 25 annual Illini Rebounders/Lou Henson Golf Outing. 

"He's working on his appointment with his embassy," Underwood said. 

Zvonimir Ivisic made it back, which Underwood found humorous. 

"It's funny. One gets back and the other doesn't," he said. 

Tomislav Ivisic is supposed to make it back, with a low level of concern as to whether or not he will according to Underwood. 

The absence of Tomislav Ivisic has given Underwood additional time to experiment with smaller, more versatile lineups, a stated goal of the Fighting Illini coach late last month.  

Underwood dubbed it a "positionless" style of basketball he believed would best make use of his roster of ball handlers, passers, and shooters, many of whom are capable of excelling on multiple areas of the court.  

"There's a lot of them," Underwood said when asked about who the facilitators on this year's team will be in 2026-27. 

"Mirk (David Mirkovic), Ethan (Brown), Lincoln (Williams), Andrej (Stojakovic)," he continued. 

"You know I like to use the term 'positionless basketball...We're going to be that for sure." 

Underwood added that he would like to play faster this year, a goal that he has the pieces to accomplish. 

In the front court, Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic both still factor into the Fighting Illini's plans, but each could see less time this season now that Underwood's team has its full complement of players. 

Freshman perimeter stars Quentin Coleman, Stefan Vaaks and Lucas Morillo are among the Fighting Illini's most versatile pieces, and each made Wasserman's recent top 100 list as players most likely to get drafted in spring 2027. 

The Ivisic twins are as good as it gets up front in the Big Ten. 

The Fighting Illini will be excited to get Tomislav Ivisic back, but will also make the most of their time without him as they await word on his return.