On the final day of summer practice, Illinois Fighting Illini power forward David Mirkovic suffered a foot injury that required surgery and extensive recovery time. However, Mirkovic returned to practice this week, and he was seen dunking, driving to the rim, crashing the boards, and just looking like he’s very close to returning.
The first preseason game is tomorrow at Cincinnati, but he will almost certainly miss out on that.
Illinois Fighting Illini Preseason Series
David Mirkovic Exclusive Part 1 David Mirkovic Exclusive Part 2 Projected Illini Depth Chart Quentin Coleman Feature
Big Ten Power Rankings NBA Mock Draft
The season opens against FDU on Nov 2, and that is a very realistic comeback date for Mirkovic, who has long shed the protective boot on his foot.
Justin Games, Illini Athletic Trainer, seems to have done a great job with the emerging sophomore.
An elite rebounder (he broke the school record for season rebounding by a freshman with 297 board last season), Mirkovic is also a do it all kind of scorer, an excellent defender, a high percentage shooter and an NBA prospect projected to go in the late first round.
And just this week, he was named preseason All-American first team by CBS Sports.
He’s an outspoken, colorful character, who went viral last March Madness when the Illini beat Houston, in Houston, and then Iowa to clinch a Final Four berth.
He bought and wore a cowboy hat after the win, given how they were in Texas.
Mirkovic, who played professionally in Montenegro before coming to Illinois, said at Media Day that he still has the cowboy hat, but he’s waiting for the right moment to wear it again.
David Mirkovic said his favorite off-the court moment, from last year’s Final Four run, was the thousands of fans who came to Willard Airport, to great the team when they returned to Champaign from Houston.
“It was like a movie” he said.
However, perhaps Illinois Coach Brad Underwood said it best, regarding Mirkovic: “Mirk loves life, he’s always happy, never has a bad day.”
Underwood continued:
“Dynamic young man. He’s a dynamic player. He’s one of the best players in the country with a with just an incredible personality.
“I think he’s great for not just basketball, he’s great for sport.
“Got great charisma and sense of humor. When you get to know him, you’ll find out how intelligent he is. He’s just got an unbelievable quick wit to him, and then you step across the line and he’s that guy that just, you know, wants to rip your throat out and compete.
“I’m excited for the world to get to know him.”
Underwood went on to say that Mirkovic will play all five positions, at some point this season. That includes point guard, in a “jumbo package.”
Mirkovic, who looks leaner this season, confirmed that he has been playing on the ball, as a facilitator, in practice this preseason.
Underwood fully trusts his play-making abilities, and it’s easy to understand why, given all the Nikola Jokic comparisons that Mirkovic has drawn in his life.
Purdue coach Matt Painter described what it’s like to face Mirkovic, and he came up with a different player comp.
“Mirkovic is a a really tough matchup because he’s herky jerky,” Painter said. He knows angles.
“He knows how to play. He can make a three. He’s got a great, slow shot fake and he baits you, and then he can drive the basketball and play.
“He gets a little loose with it some times and I think that’s where I look at him kind of like Luis Scola, the way he plays, like it’s just so hard for you.
“if you double him, he’s a good passer. if you don’t, he’ll bully you, he’ll trick you with shot fakes.”
There are many reasons why David Mirkovic is expected to take major strides this season. As Underwood pointed out, players often grow and develop, massively, during their second years in the Illini program.
He was then asked why.
“It’s everything,” he responded.
“Confidence, swagger, understanding me, understanding us, understanding the Illini Nation and everything that comes with that.
“And it’s just the value of experience, it can never be understated.
“It’s very important and you just see it it’s almost to the man, every player in our program has had better second years than first years and we’re counting on that this year.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.