Illinois junior guard Andrej Stojakovic sent a warning to college basketball rivals about the Fighting Illini’s goals after reaching the Final Four. The Illini beat Iowa 71–59 in the Elite Eight, earning their Final Four berth to face the UConn Huskies next Saturday.

Although the Final Four would be enough as an achievement for many teams and players, Stojakovic stated that it’s not the ultimate goal for Illinois.

“We got guys one through 15 and a room full of coaching staff, administration, guys that help us every day, managers that don’t get the credit, and it took all of us to get here,” he said at the postgame press conference.

“It took all of us to give 100% of what we got to achieve this, and the last thing I’ll say is I don’t want anybody to think that this is it. Like, we didn’t get to the Final Four just to get there. We’re coming to win two more games, and we’ll take it one game at a time.”

Winning is not a strange idea to Stojakovic, who is the son of former NBA forward Peja Stojakovic. The elder Stojakovic is a former NBA champion and three-time NBA All-Star.

How did Andrej Stojakovic perform in Illinois’ win over Iowa?

Starting from the bench, Andrej Stojakovic was pivotal to Illinois’ win over Iowa, recording 17 points with seven of nine shots from the floor. The junior guard also added five rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes of play against the Hawkeyes. Keaton Wagler led the Illini in scoring with 25 points, two rebounds, and three assists.

Andrej Stojakovic has been a consistent contributor for the Illini this season, averaging 13.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and one assist.

Saturday’s win represented a historic landmark in Illinois’ history, having last reached the Final Four in 2005. The program advanced to the championship game on that occasion before losing 75-70 to North Carolina.

After 21 years, the Illini are back among the elites of college basketball, setting up a meeting with the UConn Huskies on Saturday, Apr. 4. A win against the Huskies will put Illinois in the final, where it will meet the winner of the game between Arizona and Michigan.

Illinois has not won a national title in its long and storied history, making the possibility of a win inspiring for the team.