Illinois forward David Mirkovic has been sidelined since early August because of a foot injury that required surgery and extensive recovery. Throughout the summer, and even now, despite his injury, the expectation has been that Mirkovic will be the cornerstone of the Illini offensive attack in 2026-27.
But with a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule, Illinois is going to need its star sophomore sooner rather than later. Will the Illini get Mirkovic back come early November? Although he didn't offer a timeline, Mirkovic offered some insight into his recovery at Big Ten media day on Thursday.
Illinois forward David Mirkovic provides an injury update
"Right now, I'm in a really great spot," said Mirkovic, who was present in Rosemont, Illinois, without a boot on his foot. "Just listening to the doctor, listening to Justin Games, our athletic trainer. Just keep working every day, getting it better. And I would say I'm in a great spot right now with it."
Illini coach Brad Underwood has provided a handful of updates on Mirkovic since the injury, but this is the first public update from Mirkovic himself. Again, it's unknown when Mirkovic will return, but it's clear he's trending in the right direction.
With less than a month until the start of the 2026-27 campaign, Mirkovic's return still seems to be a possibility ahead of the Nov. 2 season opener against Fairleigh Dickinson. Even if that doesn't happen, the Illini can survive their first few regular-season matchups without Mirkovic. But the climb gets far steeper shortly thereafter.
Texas Tech (Nov. 10) and Duke (Nov. 17) are on the docket early. If Mirkovic is still on the mend for both of those games, a victory – let alone two – may be a pipe dream. But if he's healthy, it isn't a stretch to say Illinois may find itself ranked No. 1 in the country come late November.
Mirkovic, after sharing a glimpse into his mindset in the midst of his injury recovery, also offered a look into his summer:
David Mirkovic on his 2026 summer
"Coach has a lot of trust in me," Mirkovic said. "They let me play, basically. They gave me freedom. This summer, I was on the ball for a long time. They helped me out, improve at that, involve my teammates."
Even if this article isn't intended to be about recruiting, it's important to point out something Mirkovic said just there, because it's exactly what makes Illinois such an easy sell to prospects: "They let me play." It's what every player wants to hear. The Illini give nearly all their players – especially their "action" guys – that kind of leeway. (That's partly why Darius Wabbington's destination of choice was a mild surprise, but that's a conversation for another time).
We've heard it from Underwood. Now we've heard it from Mirkovic. Illinois is going to roll the ball out and let Mirk go to work. Once he's back, expect an All-American-caliber player in Champaign.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as Illinois Basketball's David Mirkovic Gives Injury Update, Details His Summer.