Illinois may not need Zvonimir Ivišić to become one of its stars this season.

They may need something much more difficult to defend.

At 7-foot-2, Ivišić can protect the rim, finish around the basket and stretch a defense beyond the paint. He showed flashes of all three during his first season as a junior with the Illini, but his biggest value may come from how quickly he can change a game when he checks in.

That is what makes the idea of Ivišić becoming Illinois' sixth man so intriguing.

He doesn't need 30 minutes or 15 shots a night to make an impact. He can give the Illini something different from their other frontcourt options, forcing opponents to adjust simply because of his size, length and skill set.

Now, the question is what happens if he turns those flashes into consistency.

Because if Ivišić can do that, Illinois may have something particularly valuable: a player who doesn't need to start to become one of the most difficult matchups on the floor.

A Role That Fits Ivišić

Coming off a 2025-26 season in which he averaged 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 17.2 minutes per game, Ivišić enters the 2026-27 season as one of the most intriguing pieces on Illinois' roster.

He played in all 37 games last season but started only four, making the idea of him becoming Illinois' sixth man feel more like a natural progression than a dramatic change in role.

And the numbers suggest that role could be extremely valuable.

Ivišić's offensive production doesn't jump off the page at first glance. But look a little deeper and his efficiency becomes difficult to ignore. He shot 50.9 percent from the field last season and converted 83.1 percent of his attempts from inside the arc.

He also knocked down 28 three-pointers, which is enough to make defenses think twice about completely ignoring him on the perimeter.

That combination is important.

Ivišić doesn't have to be a traditional back-to-the-basket center, nor does he need to become a high-volume stretch five. His ability to finish efficiently around the rim while providing at least some threat from outside gives Illinois another way to manipulate opposing defenses.

A Defensive Weapon Off the Bench

The defensive end may be where Ivišić can make his most immediate impact.

He blocked 72 shots last season, good for third on Illinois' all-time single-season list. His 1.9 blocks per game came in just 17.2 minutes per contest, while his 12.9% block rate ranked fourth nationally.

Those numbers tell an important story.

Ivišić doesn't need extended stretches on the floor to become a defensive presence. His length can change the way opponents attack the basket almost immediately, particularly when he is able to establish himself around the rim.

That creates value beyond the blocks that appear in the box score.

A seven-footer-plus who can erase shots can make drivers think twice before attacking the paint. He can force opponents to alter their angles, settle for tougher attempts or move the ball instead of challenging him at the rim.

And when he isn't protecting the basket, his size gives Illinois another advantage on the glass and around the paint.

That's the kind of impact a sixth man can provide.

The value isn't necessarily in piling up traditional starter-level statistics. It's in entering the game and changing the equation.

Illinois Doesn't Need Him to Be a Star

Illinois also has plenty of reasons not to force Ivišić into a larger offensive role.

Tomislav Ivišić, Zvonimir's twin brother, returns after averaging 10.4 points and 5.6 rebounds last season. David Mirković is also back after averaging 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds, while Jake Davis returns after averaging 5.4 points and shooting 40.6 percent from three.

There are already players on this roster capable of carrying larger offensive workloads. That could actually work in Ivišić's favor.

Rather than asking him to become another primary scoring option, Illinois can use him in situations where his particular skill set creates an advantage. Protect the rim. Run the floor. Crash the glass. Finish efficiently. Make the extra pass. Knock down an open three when the defense gives it to him.

Most importantly, make opposing teams account for his size and length every time he steps onto the floor.

That freedom could allow Ivišić to focus on maximizing his strengths rather than trying to become something he isn't.

And with Illinois returning so much frontcourt talent, that may ultimately be the most effective way to use him.

The Offensive Potential Is There

None of this means Ivišić is limited to being a defensive specialist.

There were already several games last season that showed what he can provide offensively when given the opportunity.

He had also shown that kind of offensive upside earlier in his career at Kentucky, where he posted 18 points and four blocks in 20 minutes against Alabama during his freshman season. Later that season, he recorded 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks against Arkansas.

Those performances matter because they show there is another level to his game.

The biggest question is consistency.

Ivišić shot just 28 percent from three last season, so expecting him to suddenly become a high-level perimeter shooter would be unrealistic. But he doesn't need to shoot 40 percent from deep for his three-point ability to matter.

The threat alone can create problems.

If an opposing big has to step outside to respect Ivišić on the perimeter, that creates additional room for Illinois' guards and other frontcourt players to attack. If that defender stays home, Ivišić has the size and efficiency to punish teams around the basket.

And if his three-point shooting becomes more reliable this season, his offensive value could rise considerably.

That is where the upside becomes particularly interesting.

The Sixth-Man Formula

The other part of the equation is Ivišić's ability to stay on the floor.

Fouls can limit the impact of an aggressive shot-blocker, and Ivišić averaged just 1.3 fouls per game in limited minutes last season. If he can continue making plays defensively without giving away possessions, Illinois has the ingredients for a very useful reserve big.

That's why the sixth-man label makes sense.

It isn't necessarily about being the team's sixth-best player, but rather, being the player who can enter a game and change it.

Ivišić has already shown that he can do that. Now, he needs to make those moments more frequent.

Illinois is coming off a Final Four season and returns Ivišić, his twin brother Tomislav, Mirković and Davis among its key pieces. The team doesn't need Zvonimir to reinvent himself. It needs him to take the strengths he already showed previously and make them more consistent.

If he does that, his box-score production might still look modest compared to some of Illinois' other players.

It might be six or eight points, a handful of rebounds, a couple of blocks, maybe a few threes.

But those numbers won't necessarily capture his full impact. Because the value of Ivišić could come from what happens to the game when he enters it.

A defense suddenly has to account for another seven-footer. A driver sees a shot-blocker waiting at the rim. A big man is forced to decide whether to leave the paint to contest a three. Illinois gets another player who can finish efficiently around the basket and create problems on the glass.

Those things can change possessions without necessarily showing up prominently in the scoring column.

And if Ivišić can turn last season's flashes into a more consistent presence, Illinois could have something particularly valuable sitting on its bench: a 7-foot-plus sixth man capable of changing the game on both ends of the floor.

For a team with Final Four aspirations, and even more, that's a difficult matchup to have waiting in reserve.

Is Zvonimir Ivišić Illinois’ sixth man? #Illini fans: what do you think?⬇️@LO_Illinipic.twitter.com/HjZ6I9u0F9

— Izzy Randazzo (@izzyknowshoops) September 12, 2026