Illinois has a little breathing room on David Mirkovic, but not enough to relax.
Last week brought an encouraging update from Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68, who projected Mirkovic’s recovery at 6-8 weeks. On that timeline, he’d be back with a full month to spare before Illinois’ season opener in early November.
Still, the Illini have a habit of stretching out recovery plans, especially when the calendar turns to the start of a new season. Andrej Stojakovic’s slow ramp-up early in the 2025-26 campaign is the reminder that hangs over this one.
So if Mirkovic isn’t ready when the regular season begins, Illinois will need answers fast. Tomislav Ivisic and Zvonimir Ivisic are the obvious names in the frontcourt. But the bigger question is what happens behind them, because Brad Underwood may move Stojakovic to the 4 at times, and that still leaves the Illini needing real minutes from true frontcourt reserves.
That puts Jason Jakstys and Landon Davis in the spotlight.
Jakstys is the veteran option, even if “veteran” comes with some asterisk. He has played in only nine career games, but 2026-27 will be his third year in the program.
At 6-foot-10 and 220 pounds, he brings size, plus wingspan, and the kind of springy energy that shows up on the glass. By all accounts, he’s an active rebounder.
In limited game action, he’s already flashed rim protection, rebounding, and a knack for finishing plays around the basket. The issue is spacing: Jakstys is a non-shooter, and that can crowd Illinois’ offense.
Davis offers a different kind of look. The freshman was a three-star recruit out of high school and checks in at 6-foot-9, 220 pounds, with perhaps a little less length than Jakstys but more lateral agility and defensive versatility.
Offensively, he brings more variety. He can work comfortably out of the dunker spot, has some athletic pop, and is also an underrated passer.
He can even stretch defenses at times.
The catch is obvious: he’s still a freshman. Davis has the tools to become an important piece of the rotation, but there’s no clean way to know how quickly that will happen until the games start. He could be ready right away, or the adjustment could take some time.
If Mirkovic is out, Illinois needs one of those two to become a reliable bench presence. This won’t be about a few scattered minutes here and there. Last season, Ben Humrichous averaged 22.5 minutes per game while Mirkovic and the Ivisic twins stayed healthy, and that’s the kind of workload someone will have to absorb again if Mirkovic is unavailable.
Jakstys and Davis aren’t Humrichous, and they don’t have to be. But somebody has to hold that spot together. If neither one does, Illinois’ biggest projected strength entering 2026-27 - its frontcourt - could suddenly look shaky until Mirkovic returns.
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