CHAMPAIGN — As Illinois churned out a beatdown of Jackson State on Monday night’s season opener, freshman forward David Mirkovic launched a pass from inside Illinois’ paint to the other end of the court
intended for forward Jake Davis. Instead, the intended dunk unraveled, and eventually, center Jason Jakstys somehow got his hands on the ball and finished the play. The pass appeared to be the only blemish on Mirkovic’s day after enjoying an exhilarating second straight performance at State Farm Center.
“I did it before one time in practice, and coaches were a little angry,” Merkovic said after the game.
“You probably won’t see that again,” forward Ben Humrichous added.
Even then, Mirkovic implied he’d hope to do it again at some point.
As for head coach Brad Underwood, he expressed a mitigated sense of concern for that particular play.
“It probably doesn’t work too well in league play,” Underwood explained. But those are things that are enjoyable to him. We have to make those things less enjoyable.”
Perhaps on a different day, that would have had a substantial impact on the game; maybe Underwood would let his frustrations boil over and it would have been apparent on the sideline. Instead, it was a total beatdown to begin Underwood’s ninth season at the helm, coupled with a second consecutive stellar performance from Mirkovic, which culminated in postgame presser levity and plenty of good vibes.
The lofty pass serves as a reminder that the freshman is adjusting to college basketball. But his performances have been so emphatic that you almost forget the Montenegrin is still adjusting to American life.
“It was a big change at the beginning, with the other language and the change in the game. Especially the environment,” Mirkovic said. “
Outside of the Mirkovic’s single blemish on the night, Mirkovic came out with his hair on fire on Monday night, scoring 8 points and notching 5 rebounds in the first three minutes of the game, always keeping his eyes downfield, and utilizing his size to mow down opposing bodies.
Mirkovic ended the night with a double-double with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists. He’s the first freshman at Illinois to record consecutive double-doubles in his debut. And he led the team in rebounds.
“I remember when David came in the summer, I was like, ‘Dude, this guy has a motor.’ He just plays the whole time,” Humrichous said. “Even though in practice, he’s handled adversity really well, he’s handled Coach Underwood’s coaching really well.
Every time Mirkovic stepped on the court, the energy was palpable. He can’t help but smile on the court, and he exudes confidence. At first sight, nothing really strikes you about him, then you realize the guy is a 6-foot-9 forward, capable of smashing into the paint, capable of driving, passing and playing on any part of the court on any given night.
“I put on the board every day: Play hard, have fun. And he has fun doing that. He has just tremendous joy for the game,” Underwood said.
Added Mirkovic: “I love it, that’s what this should be about, is the understanding of having fun playing the game.”
There will be significant learning curves for Mirkovic as the season continues to unfold. Eventually, he’ll run into big men who are faster than him. He tends to bullrush the ball-handler. But Mirkovic’s upside and potential for production have the potential to impact the season beyond non-conference cupcake games.
“He’s still learning, and it’s going to be harder, Underwood said. “He’s got a unique IQ, he’s a great problem solver, and he’s a great teammate; he doesn’t care if he scores. I’ve been pleased with the dribble, pass and shoot. He’s got all of that.”
