The Europe to Illinois pipeline remains strong. Class of 2025 power forward David Mirkovic, native of Montenegro, committed to Illinois on Monday night. The power forward is the third European big man on the Illini roster for next season, joining junior Croatian twin brothers Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivišić.
Mirkovic brings a physical inside presence to an Illini frontcourt that already has two skilled big men who can stretch the floor and play on the perimeter. While not very athletic, his physically mature frame and skilled game allow him to put the ball on the deck and dominate in the paint. Mirkovic has averaged 8.8 points and 6.7 rebounds while playing professionally for SC Derby in the Adriatic League.
He is primarily a post-scorer and high-level rebounder. However, Mirkovic has shown an ability to step out and shoot long-range as well. While the percentage is not extremely high, Mirkovic has averaged 3.7 attempts from three per game, converting at a 27.3% clip. The Ivišić brothers will likely be taking a majority of any big men three-pointers, so Mirkovic should mostly operate as a traditional four around the rim. Nevertheless, it is promising that he has shown a willingness to shoot.
Illinois now has four bigs on its roster heading into the 2025-26 season, with redshirt freshman Jason Jakstys rounding out the group. Next up for the Illini when filling out the roster will be adding pieces in the backcourt after missing out on multiple potential transfers, such as Josh Dix and Jaylin Sellers.
Mirkovic is currently competing at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, alongside fellow European prospect Dame Sarr. The Illini are also heavily pursuing Sarr and are thought to be one of the top remaining teams in contention for the Italian wing.
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