The Illinois basketball team got a lift from big man Tomislav Ivisic early in its first-round NCAA Tournament game against Xavier.

The versatile 7-foot-1, 255-pound center averaged 12.5 points and led Illinois with 7.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, named to the all-Big Ten Conference third team.

How good is Tomislav Ivisic?

Tomislav is an NBA prospect who has been a versatile big man for Illinois, starting in 29 of his 30 games. Some NBA mock drafts have him as a possible second-round pick , but ESPN's experts think he would benefit from another season in college basketball.

Ivisic is the second-leading scorer behind bona fide NBA prospect Kasparas Jakucionis and leads the team in rebounding and blocked shots.

On Friday night, Ivisic showed his 3-point ability with a three treys in the first half against Xavier . He came into the game second on the team with a 34.6 3-point percentage (46-for-133).

Where is Tomislav Ivisic from?

Ivisic was born in Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 2003. His twin brother Zvonimir Ivisic played at Kentucky last season as a freshman but transferred to Arkansas . They moved to Croatia as teenagers to play basketball.

How do you pronounce Tomislav Ivisic?

Illinois big man Tomislav Ivisic pronounces his name with six syllables: "TOM-is-lahv/EE-vee-sitch," according to the University of Illinois media guide.

Where did Tomislav Ivisic play before Illinois?

Over three seasons from 2021 to 2024, Ivisic played 69 career games for SC Derby , a pro team in Montenegro.