The Twin Who Went First: Tomislav Ivisic's Final Chapter

Earlier today we told Zvonimir's story. Today it's his brother's turn. And if you've followed Illinois the last two years, you know Tomislav Ivisic has had his share of plot twists.

He got stuck in Croatia waiting on a visa. He got cleared by the NCAA right before his first game. He fought through mono, the flu, an ankle, a tonsillectomy, and a knee. He went cold for a month and then caught fire in March. Through all of it, he stuck around. Now he's one of the last players left from Brad Underwood's 2024 rebuild, and he's starting his fifth and final college season.

For entry No. 8 in our Meet the Illini series, here's the 7-1 big man fans call Tomi.

Four Minutes Younger, First to Champaign

Tomislav is Zvonimir's twin, younger by four minutes. They grew up in Vodice, a small town on the Croatian coast, with their parents Mladen and Marena, older brother Nikola, and older sister Jelena. His favorite athlete isn't even a basketball player. It's Croatian soccer star Marko Livaja.

While Zvonimir went to Kentucky, Tomislav stayed in Europe and played three seasons for SC Derby in the Adriatic League. He won a Montenegrin Cup and an ABA League Supercup there, and he represented Croatia at the youth level and played two games for the senior national team.

Then in May 2024, he committed to Illinois. The recruiter was Orlando Antigua, the same coach who had brought Zvonimir to Kentucky. Antigua told Illini Inquirer that the Ivisic family had long wanted both of their sons to go to school in America.

The Arrival That Almost Didn't Happen

Getting Tomislav to campus was a saga. That summer he missed workouts and classes because the paperwork was stuck at the U.S. embassy in Croatia. Antigua called it a complicated process and kept saying Tomi could arrive "any day."

Then came the NCAA. Because he'd played professionally, the NCAA counted those years against his eligibility and he came in as a sophomore. After what Zvonimir went through at Kentucky, Illini fans held their breath. This time the wait was much shorter, and he was cleared right before the 2024-25 opener.

A Big Debut Season

Once he got on the floor, he was everything Illinois hoped for. In 2024-25 he averaged 13 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks. He led the team in rebounding and blocks, posted 11 double-doubles (fourth-most in the Big Ten), and made honorable mention All-Big Ten.

He also played through a lot. He sprained an ankle against Rutgers, missed time with mono and the flu, and at one point traveled to Wisconsin on his own because he was sick. In the NCAA Tournament loss to Kentucky, the school his brother started at, he scored 19 points, blocked a career-high four shots, and hit five threes, breaking his own record for most threes by a 7-footer in a tournament game.

Brothers, Together at Last

Last season, Zvonimir transferred in from Arkansas, and for the first time in college the twins were teammates. Tomislav started 33 games, and Zvonimir came off the bench. The year before, while Zvonimir was at Arkansas, they'd mostly kept in touch over FaceTime.

Zvonimir told the News-Gazette during the tournament that it was crazy to be on that stage with his brother.

The Slump and the Surge

His junior season had some rough patches. He had a tonsillectomy before it started, then hurt his knee in practice and missed three November games. By late February his shot had gone missing. Over one 12-game stretch he shot 25% from three, and in one five-game span he went 3-for-22. His averages dipped to about 10 points and 5.5 rebounds.

He handled it like a veteran. He told the News-Gazette he needed to come to games with more confidence, not dwell on misses, and trust his teammates because they had his back. He pointed out that he wasn't forcing bad shots, and he focused on rebounding, screening, and communicating while the shot came back. Underwood's message was simple: shooters keep shooting.

Then March happened. Over five NCAA Tournament games, Tomislav averaged 12.8 points on 52.3% shooting and 6.4 rebounds. He had 13 points in the Elite Eight win over Iowa and 16 points and seven rebounds against UConn in the Final Four.

And when games were close, he was deadly. CBS Sports found that he went 7-for-11 from three in clutch situations last season, meaning the score within five points in the final five minutes.

A Rare Kind of 7-Footer

Here's a stat that tells you how unusual Tomislav is. According to CBS Sports, there have only been eight seasons in the Bart Torvik database, going back to 2008, where a 7-footer made 50 or more threes. Two of them belong to Tomislav Ivisic.

CBS called him the best pick-and-pop center in the Big Ten. He shot 86% at the rim last season, and he's gotten better at punishing smaller defenders who switch onto him. In one game, Tennessee switched freshman Nate Ament onto him, and Tomislav kept backing him down and scoring. If defenses have to respect his post game, his three, and the occasional drive, he's a nightmare cover.

The Fifth-Year Leader

In April, Tomislav, Zvonimir, and Jake Davis all announced together that they were coming back. Illini Inquirer recently called Tomislav and Davis the torchbearers of Underwood's culture. He's one of only seven players since 2020 to stay three or more seasons under Underwood, which is rare in the portal era.

Underwood told the Daily Illini that Tomislav showed "tremendous commitment" this summer. He worked out with David Mirkovic every morning, and Underwood said he's moving much better, feels the best he's felt, and has worked hard on his face-up game and driving.

That matters, because his biggest criticism last year was consistency. The Daily Illini noted his regular-season energy came and went. With Mirkovic still working back from foot surgery, Illinois needs the March version of Tomislav every night. In the first half of today's exhibition at Cincinnati, he had six points and two assists, and Illini Inquirer's live blog said he was really good on offense, even if the rebounding left something to be desired.

The Bottom Line

Tomislav Ivisic has been through more in two years than most players go through in four. Visa delays, NCAA waits, illnesses, surgery, a slump, and a Final Four. He kept showing up, and he kept getting better when it mattered most.

Now it's the last ride, with his twin brother next to him and a national title as the only goal left. He went first. Fittingly, he gets to finish it with Z.

I-L-L. 🧡

Reporting compiled from FightingIllini.com, 247Sports (Illini Inquirer), The News-Gazette, CBS Sports, The Daily Illini, and Sports Illustrated (Illinois on SI).