Illinois basketball is utilizing the European market, as another big piece has been added for 2025.
Last week was pretty good for the Illini, as not only did we get word that big man Tomislav Ivisic was returning to the lineup, but he was bringing a special player along with him.
Tomislav’s brother, Zvonimir, decided to pick Illinois after transferring from Arkansas. This was a huge get for the Orange and Blue, as the two big men form a dangerous duo in the paint.
Both Ivisic brothers are from Serbia, and Brad Underwood isn’t done adding players from this country. On Monday night, Dushawn London of 247Sports reported that Illinois has now landed big man David Mirkovic.
BREAKING: International forward David Mirkovic has committed to Illinois @247Sports is told.
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) April 8, 2025
The 6-9 forward is one of the top European prospects and a major commitment for the Illini.https://t.co/VoPoaMCw73 pic.twitter.com/mx6wskm4El
Mirkovic is a 6-foot-9, 250-pound power forward who isn’t rated or ranked nationally. During the 2024-25 season, Mirkovic suited up for SC Derby Podgorica. In this league, he averaged 8.8 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.
Brad Underwood might be able to replace some of the offensive rebounding with the addition of David Mirkovic
Landing Mirkovic isn’t going to send shockwaves through the college basketball landscape, but it does prove that Illinois has a nice pipeline to some talented European basketball players.
The best player in the NBA, Nikola Jokic, is from Serbia. There are numerous Serbian basketball players in the professional ranks too. This is a good pipeline to tap into, and it will eventually lead to multiple NBA Draft picks for the Illini.
I think the addition of Mirkovic could help Illinois in one specific department, too. The biggest departure this offseason was Morez Johnson Jr. While the addition of another Ivisic will help, adding someone like Mirkovic should be able to make up for the offensive rebound production that is now missing.
Johnson was an offensive rebounding machine. He led the Illini with 2.8 offensive rebounds in each game, and he had 82 offensive rebounds on the season, 25 more than second place.
This past season, Mirkovic was a solid rebounder, as he averaged 1.9 offensive rebounds per game. I am excited to see that on the Illinois roster next season. The addition of Mirkovic should help in a crucial department.