Illinois got a little more encouraging news on David Mirkovic on Thursday, but not enough to suggest the preseason All-American forward is close to returning.
Brad Underwood said Mirkovic is out of the boot and has begun taking small steps forward in his recovery from foot surgery in early August and an appendix removal in early November.
“He is out of the boot,” Underwood said of Mirkovic, who is recovering from both a foot surgery in early August and an appendix removal in early November.
“He’s starting his process. He’s got an appointment today, just for his appendix, and how that’s looking.
And then just starts his procedural process back, and pools and AlterGs and that. So he’s shooting the basketball again, which means his stomach is in an OK spot, where it’s not too painful.
But doing a good job, and we’ll see what we keep hearing.”
That’s the clearest sign yet that the appendix issue is moving in the right direction, which would let Mirkovic turn his attention back to the foot and start rebuilding from there. After that comes the harder part: getting his conditioning back to game shape. In Illinois’ up-tempo system, that’s no small thing.
The Illini have plenty of firepower even without him. Quentin Coleman, Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic and Stefan Vaaks give Underwood a deep and balanced group with plenty of scoring options. Illinois hasn’t had trouble putting points on the board, so Mirkovic’s return probably won’t be about fixing the offense so much as making an already elite unit even more dangerous.
Where his absence has shown up most clearly is on the glass. Texas Tech hammered Illinois on the boards Tuesday night, with forward Jamichael Stillwell grabbing 13 rebounds. The Red Raiders finished with 18 offensive rebounds, while Illinois collected 10 of its own, and Texas Tech won the overall rebounding battle by 11.
That’s the kind of area where Mirkovic matters most. He was voted as one of the five best players in the entire country entering this season, and his rebounding ability is a major part of why. If he had been available against Texas Tech, those numbers might have looked very different.
For now, Illinois can get by without him against lower-level competition. But the bigger tests are coming, and that’s where the Illini will need Mirkovic back.
Duke is next week, UConn arrives in early December, and right now it sounds unlikely he’ll be ready for the Blue Devils. Even getting him back before the Huskies may be too ambitious.
In Other News...
Illinois Just Got An Encouraging Sign On David Mirkovic
Brad Underwood said David Mirkovic is out of his boot and has started the rehab process, a welcome development for an Illinois team that has already had to navigate the early part of the 2026-27 season without him. The Illini are 2-1, but the absence has been felt in the frontcourt, especially on the glass, where freshmen have been asked to carry more of the load while Mirkovic and Jake Davis have been sidelined.
Mirkovic is now doing pool work and shooting basketball again after the appendix issue that knocked him out, which at least gives Illinois a clearer path toward getting one of its more important interior pieces back in the mix. Rebounding has been one of the areas most affected by the injuries, so his return should give Underwood a better chance to stabilize that part of the rotation once the next step in his recovery arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Ranking Debate Just Got Real After First Loss
Illinois first loss of the season has turned a routine poll update into a real debate about where the Fighting Illini belong among the nations elite. After falling to No. 16 Texas Tech, the No. 3 team in the AP poll suddenly found itself under a brighter microscope, with some experts and ranking systems reacting quickly and pushing the Red Raiders up while nudging Illinois down.
The bigger question now is how much one defeat should matter when the conversation is crowded with other top teams making their own cases. Illinois still has the profile of a contender, but the loss opened the door for disagreement about whether the Illini should stay near the top tier or slide a little further back in the pecking order. [Read more 🡒]
UCLA Puts Its Unbeaten Run On The Line Against Ranked Illinois
Illinois heads to Pasadena on a short week with plenty on the line, riding a four-game winning streak into Friday nights matchup with UCLA at the Rose Bowl Stadium. It is the kind of game that can sharpen a teams profile quickly, especially with the Bruins still unbeaten and looking every bit like a group that has handled every challenge so far.
For Illinois, the spotlight falls on quarterback Katin Houser and the passing game, which will be tested against a UCLA defense that has made a habit of forcing turnovers. The Illini have momentum and a ranking to protect, but this is also the sort of road game that can expose any looseness, and UCLA will try to make them pay for it under the lights at 8 p.m. [Read more 🡒]