Illinois basketball star continues to show why he is one of a kind

The Illinois basketball team has certainly found a gem this offseason in freshman forward David Mirkovic, and he continues to show us why in this year's NCAA tournament.

Mrikovic has been a national treasure throughout his first four NCAA tournament games with the Illini. The Niksic, Montenegro, product has been putting on an absolute show for Illinois, especially against top-notch teams like the Houston Cougars.

It has been a wild run for the first-year phenom, as he is currently averaging a double-double for Illinois while playing in 31 minutes per game. He has developed a 'Mirk being Mirk' type of attitude on and off the court, which has been on full display in the national media with golden clips like this.

If you are not a fan of Mirkovic yet, then you need to take notice. He is coming off a game against No. 9 Iowa, where he only recorded nine points on 33.3% shooting from the field, but he was able to make up for it on the glass in the form of 12 rebounds, including five on the offensive side of the court.

This young man has become a pivotal part of Illinois' success throughout the 2025-26 campaign, and he's having a fun time in the process. Mirkovic continues to be the comedic relief for Illinois fans after intense games, which has certainly been a breath of fresh air throughout this entire process.

David Mirkovic wasn't quite sure how the net cutting process worked

For years, the net-cutting tradition has been a important part of the NCAA tournament. Every year, teams would take turns snipping a piece of the net from the rim until it is completely detached and in the hands of the head coach.

But this past Saturday, that tradition almost came to a screeching halt thanks to the comedic innocence of the aforementioned Mirkovic.

It was a moment that surely had the entire Illinois basketball program holding their breath in suspense. Mirkovic, for some reason or another, thought it would be a bright idea to just grab onto the net and rip at it like a pitbull trying to rip a bed sheet.

But thankfully, Kylan Boswell was there to stop the nonsense and show Mirkovic the proper way to take down the net, while blurting out "what the f*** is wrong with you" through laughter.

Now obviously, Mirkovic didn't mean anything by it. It was probably just a simple misunderstanding by the big man. But just like all of his other shenanigans, it's hard not to just shake your head and think, "Mirk being Mirk."