Brad Underwood has quietly built Illinois basketball into one of the more consistent programs in the country, guiding the team to six straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Maintaining such consistency in the modern era requires a coach to be more persuasive and active on the recruiting trail and transfer market than ever before. Though, Underwood probably had considerable help securing his latest roster addition.

Former Arkansas center Zvonimir Ivisic, twin brother of standout Illinois freshman Tomislav Ivisic, is heading to Champaign, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony. The 7-foot-2 native of Croatia played the last two seasons under legendary head coach John Calipari, flashing promise in Kentucky before transferring to Fayetteville in 2024. He tallied 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 37.6 percent from 3-point land this past season.

Ivisic, or Big Z as fans call him, joins a Fighting Illini squad that expects to lose both leading scorer Kasparas Jakucionis and Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Will Riley to the NBA Draft. Underwood could lean heavily on his towering twins next season, as he tries to keep pace in the largest conference in the country (18 schools).

What can the Ivisic twins bring as a unit to Illinois basketball?

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Tomislav Ivisic averaged 13.0 points, 7.7 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks in 32 contests for Illinois, adjusting nicely to the college game. His brother logged limited minutes at Arkansas, which is sometimes a consequence of playing on a crowded Calipari-coached squad. He spent just 26 minutes on the court across the Razorbacks' three NCAA Tournament matchups this year.

Although his twin will carry a primary role moving forward, Zvonimir Ivisic should receive ample opportunities to succeed with Illinois basketball. Underwood's group led the country with 42.6 rebounds per game. Following this latest commitment, that title might remain in Champaign next season.

The Ivisic brothers' collective ability to act as both rim-protectors and floor-spacers should ensure that the Fighting Illini are one of the most versatile teams in the Big Ten. If nothing else, they should be plenty interesting.