Illinois freshman guard Ethan Brown is already drawing the kind of early-summer buzz that can turn into something real once the games start. The 6-foot-4 backcourt addition came in with the obvious calling card: size, shooting and deep range. That alone makes him look like the sort of guard Brad Underwood loves to plug into his system.
But Brown’s profile goes beyond the clean, easy label of “sharpshooter.” He’s also shown real passing feel, the kind of facilitation he flashed regularly in high school. And the part that may have been easiest to overlook, at least from the outside, is the athletic pop that gives his upside a different kind of juice.
“He’s extremely quick, extremely athletic,” Underwood said of Brown on Tuesday. “He’s a great passer.
I think that his ceiling is extremely high. I think he’s getting adjusted, as most freshmen are, to the weight room, the speed of the game.
But, again, he’s been very, very good. I like his competitive spirit, and then his speed and his athleticism have been a real positive for us.”
That matters for Illinois because the roster is loaded just about everywhere else. The frontcourt is anchored by David Mirkovic, Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic.
The wing group has veterans Andrej Stojakovic and Jake Davis. The one spot that still looks a little open is the backcourt.
Quentin Coleman and Stefan Vaaks are the likeliest starters at guard, but the Illini still need someone who can step into a reserve role and energize the second unit. Brown has a real shot to be that guy. At the very least, he’ll get the chance to prove it.
The shooting should play right away, and that’s the kind of skill that usually travels smoothly to college. The defensive questions that might have followed him coming in also seem less worrying now, because his size and athletic traits give him a chance to hold up - and maybe do more than just survive on that end.
That’s why the floor on Brown already feels pretty sturdy for a freshman. If the speed and quickness translate into a downhill threat against college competition, Illinois may have more than a useful rotation guard on its hands. It may have another surprise waiting to happen.
Still, the real answer won’t come from scouting reports or summer praise. A freshman’s poise, decision-making and attention to detail only get tested for real when the season begins. For now, Illinois has to work with the evidence in front of it.
In Other News...
Brad Underwood Is Betting Everything On Illinois Taking The Next Step
Brad Underwood has spent the offseason treating Illinois run to the Final Four as a step, not a finish line. After getting that far last spring, the Illini now look built for another serious push, with Andrej Stojakovi back in Champaign and David Mirkovic among the key returners giving the roster a different kind of continuity heading into next season.
The challenge, of course, is whether Illinois can turn that optimism into the kind of leap Underwood is openly chasing. The Illini are already being viewed as a Big Ten favorite and carry some of the better national championship odds in the country, which means expectations will be attached from the start. The next answer will come not from the hype, but from how quickly this group settles into the pressure that comes with it. [Read more 🡒]
David Mirkovi Looks Like Hes Chasing A Much Bigger Illinois Role
Brad Underwood has kept most of Illinois basketball roster intact while adding transfers after losing leading scorer Keaton Wagler to the NBA, and the biggest internal development may be the rise of freshman forward David Mirkovi. He is back for his sophomore season, has spent the offseason working out heavily and now looks positioned to become one of the more important pieces on a roster trying to replace a major scoring hole without starting from scratch.
For Illinois, the appeal is obvious: Mirkovi gives the staff a returning frontcourt option who already knows the system and appears ready for a larger load. With Andrej Stojakovi still working his way back from knee surgery, the Illini are leaning on continuity where they can find it, and Mirkovis willingness to stay in Champaign and keep building his game has only sharpened the sense that his role next season could be much bigger than what he showed as a freshman. [Read more 🡒]
Brad Underwood Thinks This Illini Team Is Finally Getting Tougher
Brad Underwood spent part of the offseason talking less about scheme and more about the kind of body blow Illinois needs to bring every night. The Illini coach praised strength coach Adam Fletcher for the physical work done in the weight room, and he singled out David Mirkovic as one of the players who has kept making strides in that area. For a team trying to raise its floor going into the new season, that kind of development matters as much as any new wrinkle on the board.
Underwoods bigger point was about edge. He wants more aggressiveness and tenacity on defense, with steals, blocks and general disruption coming from the entire roster instead of being left to one player or one position. Illinois had enough individual rim protection last season to survive in stretches, but the next step is making that toughness part of the group identity, not a nightly exception. [Read more 🡒]