To reach the Final Four, Illinois needed to think outside the box. And country.

Lots of European teenagers are now delaying professional careers to play American college basketball, including several players who chose to play at Illinois. They're now in the Final Four.

Illinois head coach Brad Underwood knew something needed to change. Before this season, he had taken nine different teams to the NCAA Tournament, yet none had advanced past the Elite Eight. His teams were always championship contenders but not good enough to get over the hump.

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Then he made a call to Miško Ražnatović.

Ražnatović, a 59-year-old Serbian, is one of the most powerful agents in basketball. He represents many of the best amateur and professional European players, including Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokić, a three-time NBA MVP. Ražnatović told Underwood he had some players from the Balkans he might be interested in.