Illinois may have to sort through a different kind of early-season puzzle if David Mirkovic is sidelined.
The sophomore forward had surgery on his left foot in Indianapolis on July 31, according to Illinois social media pages. The team did not say exactly what the injury was or when he might be back, but Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman reported a 6- to 8-week timeline. That would put Mirkovic’s return right around the start of the season.
If that timetable holds, Illinois would be without one of its most important offensive pieces. Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 forward, shot 48.4% from the field and averaged 13.3 points per game. He also spent a lot of this offseason working with strength-and-conditioning coach Adam Fletcher, and he even chose not to play for his summer national team in Montenegro.
So if Mirkovic can’t go, Brad Underwood has a couple of ways to build out the starting five.
The more likely look is the smaller group: Quentin Coleman, Jake Davis, Stefan Vaaks, Andrej Stojakovic, and Tomislav Ivisic. Davis sliding into the fifth spot would not be a surprise.
He’s an Underwood favorite, has the staff’s full trust, and was a steady starter last season while averaging 5.4 points per game. The tradeoff is size.
That lineup doesn’t really have a true power forward, so Vaaks and Stojakovic would have to share that job, with Stojakovic likely handling most of it.
The other option goes big. That version would feature Coleman, Vaaks, Stojakovic, Zvonimir Ivisic, and Tomislav Ivisic.
It’s not the kind of look Underwood usually leans on, especially since the twins rarely shared the floor last season. But it would also give Zvonimir a chance to play forward, which could be especially interesting on defense.
With an average height of 6-foot-9, the group could cause real problems for smaller teams. The issue is depth behind the twins, and that might open the door for redshirt sophomore center Jason Jakstys to get bench minutes.
Underwood usually sticks with one starting group, but 2027 could be different. With two such different options on the table, the choice may come down to the opponent.
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The contrast across the league is part of what sharpens Underwoods standing. While a handful of Big Ten programs have dealt with losing records, tournament droughts and broader struggles under recent hires such as Archie Miller, Ben Johnson and Juwan Howard, Illinois has enjoyed stability and success that has kept Underwood in the conversation among the conferences best. For a program that wanted proof it had made the right choice, the early returns have been hard to argue with. [Read more 🡒]