Illinois basketball is just starting the David Mirkovic accolade tour

David Mirkovic proved he was a special player during his freshman season with the Illinois basketball program.

Sadly, we won’t get to see Mirkovic on the floor for the Illini during the first exhibition game this Saturday. His injury should keep him out for a little bit. The assumption is that Mirkovic will be back for the start of the regular season, which tips off on November 2.

That is three weeks of waiting for meaningful Illinois basketball. It is also three weeks for Mirkovic to rack up some massive national accolades. Those accolades began on Wednesday afternoon.

CBS Sports published their preseason first-, second-, and third-team All-Americans. Jeremy Fears Jr. (Michigan State), Thomas Haugh (Florida), Tyler Tanner (Vanderbilt), and Tyran Stokes (Kansas) are four of the five players to make the first team. The fifth player?

David Mirkovic.

That is right, Illinois has a CBS Sports preseason first-team All-American. It is believed that Mirkovic could be in store for more than just this one first-team selection, too.

I would fully expect Mirkovic to also be a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, among others.

It only makes sense for Mirkovic to get this type of national spotlight. He was one of the leaders on a Final Four team, averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. He also shot 37.5% from three-point range.

I have said many times that Mirkovic should be a contender to win the Naismith Trophy for the best player in college basketball. This first-team selection goes a long way in proving that Mirkovic has the ability to be the best in the college game.

David Mirkovic now adds to his already impressive Illinois basketball resume

Mirkovic has only been with the Illini for one season. He had a great freshman campaign. Not a lot of players in the history of college basketball can say they were one of the leaders on a Final Four team as a true freshman.

That alone gets him a ton of love from Illinois fans. Mirkovic’s accolades as a freshman were impressive, too. He was a Big Ten All-Freshman team member, and he was an All-Big Ten honorable mention.

Honestly, if Mirkovic didn’t have Keaton Wagler in front of him, he would have gotten even more national shine. With Wagler taking the spotlight, not enough eyes were on Mirkovic and what he was doing night in and night out.

The runway is clear for Mirkovic to bust onto the national scene. He has all of the ability in the world, and when he gets healthy, his status among the greats of the game will only grow. This preseason accolade is only the first of many for the sophomore sensation.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow