Six-foot-eight wing will practice and develop with the Illini as a midseason addition but will not play this season.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (Chambana Today) — Illinois men’s basketball has bolstered its roster with the addition of international forward Toni Bilic, who will join the program midseason ahead of the 2025–26 campaign, head coach Brad Underwood announced Tuesday.
Bilic, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound wing from Trogir, Croatia, signed a Big Ten Athletics Aid Agreement and will begin practicing immediately with the Fighting Illini. He will spend the remainder of the season focused on strength development and skill growth and will not see game action.
Underwood praised Bilic’s versatility, basketball IQ and high motor, noting his long-term potential.
“Toni is a skilled, multi-position player we’re excited to have working with our group,” Underwood said. “He comes from a strong basketball background, understands the game at a high level and plays downhill with an attacking mindset. He’s eager to get started.”
Bilic arrives in Champaign after three seasons with KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb in Croatia’s Favbet Premier League. He appeared in eight games last season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 58 percent from the floor in limited minutes, and finished the year strong with averages of 10.5 points and four rebounds over his final two outings.
In the 2023–24 season, Bilic played in 23 games and averaged 5.7 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 14 minutes per game. During the 2022–23 season, he split time between the club’s senior and junior squads, producing 18.1 points per game for KK Cedevita Olimpija Junior while connecting on nearly 46 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc.
Bilic has also competed extensively on the international stage for Croatia. At the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship, he averaged 18.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per contest. He later appeared at the 2024 FIBA U20 European Championship, highlighted by a double-double in Croatia’s opening-round victory over Switzerland.
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