Illinois has added another European player to its roster for next season. Serbian guard Mihailo Petrović has committed to the Illini, becoming the fourth Balkan player on the team.
Petrović is 22 years old, helping Illinois get older and more experienced. He plays for the Serbian national team and stars for Mega Superbet in the Adriatic League. Petrović is a highly skilled guard who averaged 14.3 points and 7.3 assists, good for third overall in the Adriatic League, this season.
At Illinois, Petrović should pair well alongside rising senior guard Kylan Boswell, who played in a combo guard role last season alongside Kasparas Jakučionis, who recently declared for the NBA draft. Petrović can be the primary ball handler and playmaker, allowing Boswell to play more off the ball. He is also a strong passer who should thrive in ball screens, which would be an ideal scenario for either of the 7-foot Ivišić twins.
Petrović’s playmaking skills and command of the offense in both the halfcourt and transition are his main strengths, as he is not a fantastic shooter. He is serviceable though, knocking down 33.8% of his threes this season on 3.1 attempts per game. Petrović took most of his shots from inside the arc, averaging 7.3 two-point attempts per game and converting 57.1% of them.
The experienced European should slot into the starting lineup as the Illinois roster currently stands. However, it remains to be seen if the coaching staff will make any other moves, especially in the backcourt, and bring in another guard that could contend with Petrović for a starting role.
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Additionally, there will likely be questions about how many years of collegiate eligibility Petrović has after playing professionally overseas. When rising junior center Tomislav Ivišić came to Champaign, he had eligibility issues because of his pro experience, and he was ruled to be a sophomore in what should have been his freshman season. Petrović may deal with similar challenges, but that process takes a while to play out with the NCAA.
@sahil_mittal24
