Illinois Fighting Illini Dominate VCU Rams Behind Andrej Stojakovic Brilliance to Advance to Sweet Sixteen

Jacob Perrine
VCU Rams guard Brandon Jennings (0) defends Illinois Fighting Illini guard Keaton Wagler (23) Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game.

There would be no epic comeback this time around for the VCU Rams, as the Illinois Fighting Illini cruised to an easy 76-55 win in Greenville on Saturday night to secure a second trip to the Sweet Sixteen in the past three seasons.

Illinois Defense Shuts Down Scrappy Rams to Secure the Win

When going up against a team that can light up the scoreboard like Illinois can, your offense must be able to deliver as well, and unfortunately for VCU, they simply did not have the firepower to match the Fighting Illini tonight. Illinois kept a fantastic pace on offense for the majority of the game, as they shot an efficient 48% from the floor in the win. The Fighting Illini would receive great production from all three phases, as their inside and outside game was hitting on all cylinders, especially in the second half when they broke away for the easy win.

While holding the Rams to just 35% shooting helped pave the way for Illinois to turn on the cruise control in the second half, it was the brilliant play of backup guard Andrej Stojakovic who put them in that position to begin with. The son of legendary NBA sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic, Andrej would catch fire in near the end of the first half to give Illinois a huge boost heading into halftime, as he scored 8 straight points in the final two minutes to push the Fighting Illini’s lead to 7 points at the break.

Stojakovic would end the night leading the Fighting Illini in scoring, as he dropped an impressive 21 points in just 26 minutes. It would be a great night for almost everyone on Illinois, as 3 of the Fighting Illini’s 5 starters finished in double figures in the game. Both freshman sensation Keaton Wagler and dominating big man Tomislav Ivisic had good outings in the win. Wagler would score 14 points while Ivisic would finish with a strong double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Nyk Lewis Injury Ruins Potential Tourney Run for VCU

In what might be one of the biggest what ifs surrounding this year’s tournament, the VCU Rams run may have gone deeper in March if not for the unfortunate injury of star guard Nyk Lewis tonight. Lewis would exit the game in the opening minute of the game after turning his ankle after landing on a teammate’s foot jumping for a rebound. Lewis would be helped off the court by VCU’s trainers and would not return for the remainder of the game.

The loss of Lewis would essentially cut off the oxygen to VCU’s offense, as the Rams looked lost without one of their best players on the court. Only three players for the Rams would finish in double digits, with only one starter in Berry Evans being among those three. VCU would look to their hero from the North Carolina game in Terrence Hill Jr. for any offensive production, but would only be able to get so much from Hill Jr. this time around.

Hill Jr. would lead the Rams in scoring with 17 points, but would shoot just 7 for 16 from the floor in the loss. VCU struggled from seemingly every part of the floor on offense tonight, as they shot just 22% from three and 33% from the free-throw line. After making history in their 19-point comeback win against North Carolina on Thursday, the clock officially struck midnight on VCU’s cinderella run in Greenville.

Illinois to Face Houston in Sweet Sixteen on Thursday

It almost seems an unfair fight that the Fighting Illini are walking into come Thursday, as they’ll have to travel to Houston to face off against the Cougars in what should be a very Houston-friendly crowd. This game will mark the sixth-straight Sweet Sixteen appearance for the Cougars, who are looking to also get back to their third Elite Eight in four years. If the Fighting Illini can pull off the upset on Thursday, they’ll make just their second Elite Eight appearance over the past 21 years.