The men's Illinois basketball program doesn't need another injury, especially with David Mirkovic still recovering from offseason foot surgery and an emergency appendectomy.
The Illini, who rank No. 3 in the preseason AP Poll, opened their season with a 120-45 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on November 2. They are poised to make another run towards the Final Four but will be without three-point specialist Jake Davis after he suffered a separated shoulder.
After suffering a separated shoulder in Illinois basketball’s season opener, Jake Davis is going to be out for the foreseeable future. pic.twitter.com/GpXXyxUcWY
— WCIA (@WCIA3) November 4, 2026
Davis, a McCordsville, Indiana, product, suffered a separated left shoulder on Monday in the first half while fighting through a screen set by the Knights' Pavie Stosic. He would leave the game shortly after, clenching his shoulder.
Brad Underwood was asked about the injury at practice, stating, "It's a loss that's tough for me to swallow," and "it just puts a pit in my stomach."
#Illini HC Brad Underwood announced to the media that Jake Davis had surgery this morning on a separated shoulder and will be out indefinitely.
— Evy York (@evy_york2) November 4, 2026
“It’s a loss that’s tough for me to swallow,” Underwood said. pic.twitter.com/8cGZ4vMwPE
Davis was a crucial part of Illinois' run to the Final Four last season, shooting a team-leading 40.6% from beyond the arc. He is a great leader and a game-changer, but Underwood will have to find a way to replace his impact on the court.
The 'next man up' mentality will be crucial for Illinois without Jake Davis
Illinois had four players last season shoot over 35% from three-point range: Keaton Wagler, Ben Humrichous, David Mirkovic, and Jake Davis. The problem for Illinois is that Wagler and Humrichous are gone, and Mirkovic and Davis are out for the foreseeable future.
Underwood's long-range shooting will be severely lacking, which means he will need to find someone to fill Davis' void quickly. Stefan Vaaks will lead the charge with his lethal perimeter game, shooting 35% from beyond the arc in his career.
Vaaks can't do it alone.
The Illini will need Tomislav Ivisic to continue being the top big man in the Big Ten. They will need freshmen Quentin Coleman and Ethan Brown to step up and contribute in a big way, especially after Brown recorded a 33% three-point percentage during exhibition play.
Can Illinois make this happen? Absolutely. They have plenty of talent to suffice, and a deep roster filled with elite scorers. They just need to regroup, figure out their strategy, and stay dominant while they weather this storm.
Add us as a preferred source on Google