Illinois Freshman David Mirkovic Exceeding Expectations

Illini coach Brad Underwood saw Mirkovic's potential early on and recruited him to complement star forward Tomislav Ivisic.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 1:15pm

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Illinois freshman forward David Mirkovic has been a pleasant surprise this season, averaging 12.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 big man from Montenegro, has shot an impressive 37.5% from three-point range. Head coach Brad Underwood says he saw Mirkovic's potential early on and recruited him to complement star forward Tomislav Ivisic, forming a formidable frontcourt duo.

Why it matters

Mirkovic's emergence has been a key factor in Illinois' success this season, as the Illini have relied more on their talented freshmen class than expected. The Ivisic-Mirkovic frontcourt has proven to be a versatile and dynamic pairing, creating matchup problems for opposing defenses.

The details

Mirkovic has exceeded expectations in his freshman season, posting strong stat lines in recent games against Purdue (12 points, 8 rebounds) and Washington (19 points, 6 rebounds). Underwood says he was "pretty bought into him pretty early" due to Mirkovic's skill set, physicality and competitive spirit. The coach saw Mirkovic as the perfect complement to the established Ivisic, with his versatility, passing and rebounding abilities.

  • Mirkovic had 12 points and 8 rebounds at Purdue on January 24, 2026.
  • Mirkovic followed that with 19 points and 6 rebounds against Washington on January 30, 2026.

The players

David Mirkovic

A 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro who has emerged as a key contributor for Illinois, averaging 12.5 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

Brad Underwood

The head coach of the Illinois men's basketball team, who says he saw Mirkovic's potential early on and recruited him to complement star forward Tomislav Ivisic.

Tomislav Ivisic

A veteran forward for Illinois who has formed a formidable frontcourt duo with freshman David Mirkovic.

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What they’re saying

“I saw a lot of film on him. I was pretty, pretty bought into him pretty early. The competition level he played against, his skill set, his competitive spirit was really high. His physicality was really high. So, I felt, just from a physical standpoint, he was going to be able to play and contribute right away.”

— Brad Underwood, Illinois Head Coach

“That's the whole reason – yeah, it's the whole reason we recruited him. We needed the counter to Tomi – and he was that. Big, strong, physical, very, very skilled, [and] still had the one quality we wanted: shooting. But his playmaking and passing was a huge piece of that. And then his rebounding. He's always been an elite rebounder. So that was a huge piece of it.”

— Brad Underwood, Illinois Head Coach

What’s next

Illinois will need another strong performance from Mirkovic and the frontcourt when they face No. 5 Nebraska on the road on Sunday.

The takeaway

Mirkovic's emergence as a versatile and dynamic freshman has been a key factor in Illinois' success this season, complementing the team's veteran leaders and creating a formidable frontcourt duo with Tomislav Ivisic.