David Mirkovic made quite the splash in his freshman year for Illinois, transitioning seamlessly from the Adriatic League to the college basketball scene. The Montenegrin forward didn't just adapt; he thrived, putting up impressive numbers with 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
His shooting was a revelation, hitting 48.4% from the field and an impressive 37.5% from beyond the arc. These stats earned him a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team and an Honorable Mention in the All-Big Ten selections by both coaches and media.
Standing tall at 6-foot-9 and weighing in at 250 pounds, Mirkovic brought a physical presence that was hard to ignore. His relentless energy and toughness made him a force on the boards, ranking him sixth in the Big Ten for rebounding.
Nationally, he was a standout too, placing inside the top 250 for both defensive rebound rate at 20.2% and offensive rebound rate at 10.1%. Not to mention, he notched nine double-doubles, tying him for sixth in the conference.
But what really caught everyone's attention was Mirkovic's offensive prowess. Coming in, there were whispers about his shooting abilities, given his less-than-stellar numbers in the Adriatic League.
However, he put those doubts to rest by knocking down 37.5% of his three-point attempts, including an impressive 38.1% on 63 unguarded catch-and-shoot tries. This made him a legitimate pick-and-pop threat, especially when paired with Keaton Wagler, and his ability to stretch the floor was a key component of Illinois' No. 2-ranked offense.
As he heads into the offseason, there's a lot of excitement about what Mirkovic can develop further. If his freshman year is any indication, the sky's the limit for this promising forward.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Landed A Big Recruiting Moment With Elite In-State Guard
Illinois has been circling Brady Pettigrew for a while, and the next step in that pursuit is another unofficial visit to campus. The composite five-star guard from Illinois remains one of the most sought-after names in the Class of 2028, with 247Sports listing him as the No. 18 overall prospect and the top player in the state. He already has more than 25 Division-I offers, a group that includes Ohio State, Auburn, Villanova and Florida State, which tells you how wide the competition has become for one of the countrys best young guards.
For Illinois, though, the important part is familiarity. Pettigrew has been on campus multiple times already, and that kind of repeated contact matters when a program is trying to stay in front of an elite in-state target before the chase gets even more crowded. The Illini have done enough to stay firmly in the mix, but with so many major programs involved, every visit becomes another chance to strengthen the relationship and keep the edge in a recruitment that figures to draw plenty more attention. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois 2027 Recruiting Board Is Raising A Familiar Underwood Debate
Illinois has already started to map out its next few recruiting cycles, and the early look at 2027 and 2028 only sharpens a familiar Brad Underwood question: how much positional flexibility does this roster really need, and where can Illinois afford to be choosy? The staff has a late addition already in place for the 2026-27 roster, but the bigger picture is coming into focus through scholarship offers and early commitments, including two in-state wings in the 2027 class.
Isaiah Santos fits the kind of debate Illinois keeps circling back to. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward brings the sort of physical profile that can help on the glass and on defense, but his place in the lineup is still part of the larger roster puzzle the Illini are trying to solve. With more targets still on the board and the board itself expanding, Illinois is again weighing whether to keep stacking wings, chase more size, or lean into the type of versatile pieces that have long defined Underwoods best teams. [Read more 🡒]