The Illinois Fighting Illini haven’t taken the floor since last Saturday against Nebraska, but that hasn’t stopped them from trying to improve their program. The university announced that they have signed Croatian Forward Toni Bilic. Bilic will not play for Illinois this season, but will practice with the team until the 2026-27 campaign.
Bilic, 20, hasn’t played this season overseas after playing professionally in Croatia in 2024-25. Bilic was connected to the Illinois Fighting Illini by his agent, Misko Raznatovic. Raznatovic represents four current players in the Illinois program.
Toni Bilic To Join the Illinois Fighting Illini Next Season
The Illinois Fighting Illini have been active on the recruiting trail recently. Brad Underwood and his staff have added three 4-star recruits for the 2026-27 season, and this week they signed a 20-year-old Croatian forward. Bilic will practice with the team for the rest of this season before joining on a full-time basis next year.
Bilic is the latest addition to a Fighting Illini team that has leaned heavily into foreign-born players. Bilic has played in Croatia for the last three years but hasn’t suited up this season for a team. He is represented by Raznatovic, an agent who represents four other foreign-born players on the Illinois roster.
While Bilic won’t be on the playing floor for the Illinois Fighting Illini this season, he will be eligible to practice with the team for the spring semester and get a jump start over his fellow recruiting class of 2026-27 members, Lucas Morillo, Ethan Brown, and Landon Davis.
Toni Bilic Player Profile
Bilic didn’t get a lot of playing time with his professional team in Croatia, Košarkaški klub Cedevita Junior Zagreb. The majority of Bilic’s tape comes from amateur national team competition. Bilic played for the U18 Croatian national team and the NextGen EuroLeague Club as part of an Adidas competition.
Bilic, at 6-foot-9, is an off-ball wing who will do most of his damage in transition. Scouts have described him as clumsy and unpolished as a prospect, making his addition to the Illinois Fighting Illini program this winter all the more important.
The Croatian youngster should be a major contributor to Brad Underwood’s squad next year. If he can develop and fine tune his game, his athleticism and raw skills could make him one of the more reliable options for the Illinois Fighting Illini in 2026-27.
