Illinois’ lopsided win over Fairleigh Dickinson came with a price, and it may be a steep one.
Less than 10 minutes into the 120-45 rout, Jake Davis came off a screen and injured his shoulder. He did not return, and he also was not seen on the bench for the rest of the night. After the game, Brad Underwood gave an update that left little room for optimism.
“Yeah, it doesn’t sound great. It is a shoulder injury. I don’t know the whole diagnosis yet, but it didn’t sound great.”
That’s the kind of quote nobody wants to hear this early in the season, especially with Illinois already dealing with a pile of injury issues. David Mirkovic broke his foot in the offseason and had surgery, then later had an emergency appendectomy, leaving his return timeline uncertain.
Lincoln Williams was hurt in practice and missed Monday night’s game. On the positive side, Andrej Stojakovic and Tomislav Ivisic were back against Fairleigh Dickinson after sitting out the last exhibition game.
The growing list of absences is pushing Illinois toward its freshmen faster than expected. Mirkovic is expected to be out until the Big Ten season, and Davis’ situation sounds like it could keep him sidelined until then, if not longer.
That puts a bigger spotlight on Quentin Coleman and Lucas Morillo, and both delivered encouraging signs Monday. Coleman put together a huge all-around performance with 13 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Morillo showed plenty of energy and aggression on both ends, finishing with nine points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes.
Illinois has the roster depth to absorb some damage, but the hits are stacking up quickly. The Illini got the blowout they wanted against Fairleigh Dickinson, but they also left the night wondering how long they’ll be without Davis.
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Illinois Gets Nebraska At The Perfect Time After Another Collapse
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For Illinois, the timing looks favorable after a solid win over Maryland, especially with other Big Ten results showing how thin the margin can be from one week to the next. Rutgers pushed Michigan close, Iowa handled Wisconsin, and the conference race keeps shifting around the edges, which is why Nebraskas latest collapse stands out so much. The Illini get a chance to catch a vulnerable opponent before the Huskers can try to steady themselves, and that makes this matchup worth a closer look. [Read more 🡒]