Illinois forward David Mirkovic, one of the best true freshmen in men’s college basketball last season, is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left foot, the program announced Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Mirkovic is expected to make a full recovery, according to the announcement. The injury occurred during a team practice on July 31.
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Mirkovic averaged 13.3 points with eight rebounds and 2.6 rebounds per game last season, and was expected to take on an even bigger role in 2026-27 following leading scorer Keaton Wagler’s departure to the NBA. Illinois didn’t release a timetable for the potential All-American’s return.
The Niksic, Montenegro, native helped lead Illinois to the Final Four last season, scoring a career-high 29 points in Illinois’ first-round NCAA Tournament win over Penn. He also scored 14 points with 10 rebounds in the Fighting Illini’s Sweet 16 win over Houston.
Illinois returns star guard Andrej Stojakovic and standout center Tomislav Ivisic, while adding highly sought-after guard Stefan Vaaks from Providence in the transfer portal. The Fighting Illini don’t have an obvious forward replacement for Mirkovic, but could potentially move to a double-big lineup with Zvonomir Ivisic, Tomislav Ivisic’s brother.
Here are Mirkovic’s full stats from the 2025-26 season:
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2025-26: 13.3 points with 8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on 48.4% shooting (37.5% from 3-point range)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: David Mirkovic injury update: Illinois star undergoes foot surgery, return undetermined
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