CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) – If one was predicting friendships within the Illinois basketball program, there could be some obvious guesses.

Ben Humrichous and Jake Davis hail from Indiana. Throughout the 2024-25 season, the Illini frequently fielded two European starters, Tomislav Ivisic and Kasparas Jakucionis. A significant connection in the 2025-26 lineup is the pairing of twin brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic.

Yet, it’s somewhat unexpected that Champaign local Kylan Boswell and Croatian center Tomislav Ivisic would emerge as possibly the tightest duo on the team. According to Boswell, this is indeed true.

“I had no idea who that dude was at all,” Boswell said, reflecting back to before the duo joined forces at Illinois ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Despite only a single year together, their friendship has grown strong. Boswell attributes part of this bond to his previous experiences playing with European athletes. Therefore, when Ivisic came to Illinois, it wasn’t unfamiliar for the hometown point guard.

“I’ve never had a problem with just learning new backgrounds,” Boswell said. “I’ve got a lot of friends I can visit around the world, for sure.”

While collaborating with players worldwide wasn’t entirely new for Boswell in Champaign, the transition was a novel experience for Ivisic, who relocated nearly 5,000 miles to join Illinois. Their budding friendship significantly aided the 7-foot-1 center in adapting to life so far from home.

“He’s truly a nice guy,” Tomislav Ivisic said. “A fantastic teammate. I enjoy our conversations. He’s straightforward, tells me directly what I need to know, and I reciprocate. We share everything, no secrets, just mutual support. Even off the court, we spend time together frequently. I’m just grateful he’s back here; we developed a truly special connection last year.”

In his debut college basketball season in 2024-25, Tomislav Ivisic recorded an average of 13 points and 7.7 rebounds per game for the Illini. Meanwhile, Boswell, transferring after two years with Arizona, achieved averages of 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in his first season with Illinois.