Illinois basketball’s Brad Underwood adds another Euro star with Providence transfer

The Illinois basketball team hopes to build on its appearance in the Final Four, during the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood is adding Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks, per ESPN. He is yet another European player who will suit up for the Fighting Illini.

Vaaks put up solid production night in and night out for the Friars.

“Top-10 player in the portal. Estonia native averaged 15.8 points and 3.2 assists and scored 20-plus points against St. John’s (twice), Villanova (twice) and UConn,” Jeff Borzello reported on X, formerly Twitter.

Illinois has made a name for itself under Underwood with talent from Europe. That trend appears to be continuing. The Illini hope to reach the national championship game in 2027, after losing to UConn in the 2026 Final Four.

Vaaks is the team’s first incoming transfer for 2026-27, per 247 Sports. Illinois also has three high school players who have signed letters of intent. That includes four-star guard Lucas Morillo.

Vaaks is a lengthy guard who causes problems for opposing teams. He is listed at 6-foot-7. During the 2025-26 season, he started 22 games for the Friars. He played in 31 contests.

“Vaaks and top-35 Class of 2026 guard Quentin Coleman give Illinois two high-ceiling playmakers, and the Illini continue to push for five-star Wisconsin transfer guard John Blackwell too,” 247Sports reported.

The European star also is a solid free-throw shooter. He made close to 84 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe for Providence.

Providence underwent a coaching change following the 2025-26 season. Vaaks spent one season with the Friars, where he shot just above 40 percent from the field.

Illinois meanwhile finished the 2025-26 season with 28 victories. That included 15 wins for the team in the Big Ten during the regular season. Underwood has taken Illinois basketball to the NCAA tournament for six consecutive seasons.

The Illini won games against Penn, VCU, Houston and Iowa in the NCAA tournament.

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