As we inch closer and closer to the start of the 2026-27 season, it is important to get all Illinois basketball players on the court.
A speed bump early on in the new campaign came when David Mirkovic went down with an injury in the summer. The process of getting Mirkovic back has been slow and long, but he is starting to come around.
In an interview with The News-Gazette, Brad Underwood laid out where Mirkovic was in his recovery and what the game plan is for him moving forward.
“He was literally out there about six minutes, and we needed oxygen, and he needed help,” said Underwood to The News-Gazette.
According to the article, Mirkovic suited up and practiced on Monday, but that isn’t a reason to get your hopes up about seeing him on the court in the near future. Condition is still a huge hurdle right now, but Underwood did talk about Mirkovic’s timeline.
“No timeline, but will not play this week. I do know that,” Underwood told The News-Gazette.
That means Illinois will not have Mirkovic on the floor for the first exhibition game against Cincinnati on Saturday. This is the first taste of Illinois basketball in nearly seven months.
David Mirkovic won’t play this weekend for @IlliniMBB, but the star sophomore’s gradual buildup after offseason foot surgery included a short stint of on-court work with his #Illini teammates Monday for the first time.
— IlliniHQ (@IlliniHQ) October 13, 2026
Story via @srrichey:https://t.co/KFcBTtkwVz
Easing David Mirkovic back into action is a smart move for Illinois basketball chemistry
I like that Underwood isn’t rushing things with Mirkovic right now. He is taking his return to basketball slowly, and that helps all parties.
Mirkovic needs to take his return to health slowly. There is no reason to risk further injury because that would only delay his return.
For Illinois, as a team, they have been practicing and living life without Mirkovic in the game. They have had time to gel since this injury happened a few months ago. This isn’t a new injury, so the team chemistry has been building since late August.
It will be interesting to see what Illinois looks like without Mirkovic for the first few exhibition games. He was a key cog for the program last season, and without him leading, there will need to be upperclassmen who step up and help guide the relatively young roster.
Mirkovic will get healthy in the next month. Looking at the schedule, the first regular season game is November 2 against Fairleigh Dickinson. That is when I expect Mirkovic back on the court. Give him a few minutes in that game. Continue building up his stamina in the next game against Penn.
On November 10, Illinois takes on Texas Tech. That is when we could see a full-go Mirkovic. At that point, good luck to the rest of college basketball. A big season for Mirkovic is on the horizon.
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