We are just two exhibition games into the season, but it already feels like Illinois basketball has played a gauntlet.
The Illini are coming off a game against Baylor where the Bears were thrashing us through the first half, but Illinois stormed back and made it a game. It was an exciting finish despite the result being a loss.
David Mirkovic's absence was very noticeable. The preseason first-team All-American has been sidelined since August after a fracture to his foot. Mirkovic was seen courtside, but he was wearing a walking boot again. Brad Underwood gave us a little update on Mirkovic in the postgame press conference.
"We will be without Mirk (David Mirkovic) for a little while. They put him back in a boot."
Going from starting to practice a little bit to now being back in a boot is never a good sign. Underwood's head is in the right place, though. He puts his player's health first.
"I have said from day one, we are going to be very patient and diligent with that. We want to make sure that it heals correctly, and in a fashion that allows him to sustain not only for the year, but for the rest of his career."
The boot is a bad sign for someone who isn't in the know. Thankfully, Underwood cleared up whether it was a setback or not.
"No setback. It's all about making sure the scan shows that everything is correct. The screw is terrific, it is fine, it is in place. There is nothing there, it is just the extra time to make sure that it fully heals. There is nothing accountable to anything other than that."
It sounds like Mirkovic will be out a little longer than expected. There are many areas where his absence has already hurt Illinois, but there is one glaring issue when he isn't on the court.
Rebounding.
Underwood sees this issue as well.
"He is one of the best rebounders in the country. So, who is going to step up?
Illinois did a fine job against Cincinnati in the first exhibition game, winning the rebounding battle 39-32. The game against Baylor, a better team, didn't go so well, though.
The Bears outrebounded the Illini 47-38. That is a -9 rebounding margin. Last season, Illinois went 28-9. We were outrebounded in five games. Illinois was 1-4 in those five contests. We were 27-5 when we won the rebounding battle. Rebounds matter greatly.
In 2025-26, Illinois averaged 41.1 rebounds per game, which ranked No. 7 in the country. The leader of that rebounding charge was Mirkovic. He led the Illini with 8.0 rebounds per game.
Mirkovic is going to be out for a minute. He was Illinois' main hope in making up for the lost rebounds from Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell, and Ben Humrichous, who combined for 13 rebounds per game. For those counting at home, Illinois will start the season missing an average of 21 rebounds per game from last year's squad.
Illinois basketball has a backcourt that can crash the glass and help in the rebounding department
That is a ton of rebounding production that Illinois will be missing in the non-conference. We have scheduled some tough teams, so don't be surprised if we struggle through some games.
With that being said, I have seen glimpses of what the Illinois backcourt can do on the glass.
Andrej Stojakovic has a big body and is physical. He can get to the basket, and I expect him to live around the hoop a lot. His athletic ability should naturally allow him to get five or more rebounds per game.
I love the freshman hustle when it comes to backcourt rebounds. Quentin Coleman is somewhat undersized, but he led Illinois with seven rebounds against Baylor. He is only 6-foot-4, 180 pounds.
Illinois' other freshmen – Zavier Zens, Ethan Brown, and Lincoln Williams – combined for eight rebounds. They were aggressive and active on the glass. This helps the rebounding cause a lot.
I would say Illinois could lean on the multiple 7-foot players we have in the frontcourt, but they don't seem to be doing much in the way of rebounding. The Ivisic brothers – Tomislav and Zvonimir – are both over 7-foot and they only averaged 5.6 and 4.5 rebounds per game last season, respectively. They only gave Illinois five combined rebounds against Baylor, too.
At the end of the day, Illinois' backcourt is where the rebounds will need to come from. We have plenty of talent at guard and on the wing who are willing hustlers and want the basketball. The Illini backcourt will be crucial in the coming months to help bridge the gap left by Mirkovic and his rebounding ability.
Today's best reads
- Filtering the Illinois basketball truths and lies from the exhibition loss to Baylor
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- David Mirkovic's Preseason All-America nod is just another accolade to add to the list
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This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as David Mirkovic injury update puts spotlight on Illinois basketball rebounding woes.