Illinois star David Mirković is dealing with a double whammy right now. He underwent an emergency appendectomy Saturday night, an unexpected blow that means he will miss even more time than originally planned after foot surgery this offseason. This guy is a preseason All-American, and his team is about to hit some seriously tough nonconference matchups.
Another Setback For The Illini Star
Mirković was already sidelined for Illinois’ season opener Monday due to the foot surgery he had this past offseason. He was expected to miss at least the start of the 2026-27 campaign, and he even got placed back in a boot in late October after being out of it for about a month. Now, head coach Brad Underwood revealed on Sunday that Mirković had an emergency appendectomy on Saturday night. The timing for his return is completely up in the air. “We don’t know what that means [timing-wise],” Underwood told ESPN. “Can’t give you any further update than that.” Mirković wasn’t on the court for the Illini’s big win on Monday, and this latest health issue just pushes his return to the court further down the line.
Still Rolling Without Him… For Now
Mirković is a massive piece for Illinois. Last season, he put up 13.3 points and eight rebounds per game, helping lead the Illini to their first Final Four appearance in over two decades. He was even named a preseason All-American this fall, so losing him, especially twice over, is no small thing. Despite not having their star, Illinois absolutely crushed Fairleigh Dickinson 120-45 on Monday night, a ridiculous 75-point blowout. They opened the game with a 21-2 burst and never gave up the lead. Andrej Stojaković went off with 20 points and seven rebounds, shooting 9-of-11 from the field. Stefan Vaaks added another 20 points off the bench, and Quentin Coleman chipped in 13 points and 10 boards. They clearly didn’t need Mirković for that one.
The Real Test Is Coming
While Monday’s game was a walk in the park, the schedule is about to get brutal for Illinois. They have some serious nonconference games coming up, including a showdown with No. 19 Texas Tech next week. After that, they face off against No. 2 Duke and No. 4 UConn. These are huge tests. If Mirković isn’t available for that gauntlet, making it through that stretch clean before Big Ten play gets going will undoubtedly be much more difficult for the Illini. Can they keep rolling without their preseason All-American when the competition ramps up? We are about to find out, starting with Texas Tech next week.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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