Coaches are always talking about championship DNA when it comes to building successful teams.
In Andrej Stojaković, the Illinois Fighting Illini have accomplished the proverbial by adding the literal in an emerging star with a championship family tree.
Stojakovic is related to Peja Stojakovic, a former NBA small forward. Andrej Stojakovic is the son of 13-year veteran NBA sharp-shooter Peja.
The elder Stojakovic played with the Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors and the Dallas Mavericks.
Peja Stojakovic was the No. 14 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by Sacramento, and earned three All-Star selections with the Kings. But he also won it all as part of a 2010-11 Mavericks team that beat LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat in six games in the 2011 NBA Finals.
While the 6-foot-7 Serbian-Greek star has emerged as a main character in the 2026 March Madness run for the Fighting Illini, his father, Peja Stojakovic, has been in the stands watching Illinois before the NCAA Tournament, which has helped the younger Stojakovic receive real-time feedback.
How the Illinois basketball guard has fared
Andrej Stojakovic enters the Elite Eight as Illinois' third-leading scorer with 13.9 points per game on 49.5% shooting from the field.
He has scored eight games of at least 20 points going into Saturday's South Region final against No. 9 seed Iowa.
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of Stojakovic's stats in the Men's NCAA Tournament for the Illinois basketball team this season:
- Penn (First Round): 9 points on 3-of-8 shooting with three rebounds and an assist.
- VCU (Second Round): 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting with four rebounds, an assist and a block.
- Houston (Sweet 16): 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with two assists and a steal.
Andrej Stojakovic, a humble star
Stojakovich is humble despite his heritage and his performance in March Madness.
Earlier in the tournament, after a 21-point game, he said in the post-game news conference:
"I think me coming here and getting to this point, just like every other newcomer that came to this team this year, all we can do is help this team go as far as we can."
The transfer from Cal is a staunch believer in the Illini basketball team, the Illinois roster and coach Brad Underwood.
"We came here for a reason because we believe in this program, and we're going to continue to control what we can, and that's how much we work at it and with what intensity we play," Stojakovic said.
Dave Eminian is the senior writer and Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois star Andrej Stojakovic: Dad is former NBA player Peja Stojakovic