Illini Forward David Mirkovic named to Preseason AP All-American team

David Mirkovic was named to the Preseason AP All-American team alongside Jeremy Fears Jr., Tyler Tanner, Thomas Haugh, and Motiejus Krivas. Mirkovic averaged 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a freshman for the Illini in 2025-2026. The Montenegrin big man shot 48.4% from the field and 37.5% from the three-point line. With Keaton Wagler now playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, many expect David Mirkovic to take the reins as the Illini’s go-to player. After an impressive freshman season himself, Mirkovic certainly seems like the easy choice.

Hype continues to grow for David Mirkovic

Illinois basketball is just 12 days away from its opening night game vs. Farleigh Dickinson University.  Previously, Illinois was ranked no.3 in the AP Preseason Poll. Now, their power forward is named as one of the five elite players in the country. David Mirkovic underwent foot surgery in early August, and reports indicated a 6-8 week recovery timeline. Per recent videos on social media, Mirkovic has at least gotten on the court to participate in certain parts of practice. With two more exhibitions left on the Illini’s schedule, Mirkovic will likely sit out of both of those games, but he may be physically ready to go once Farleigh Dickinson comes to town.

On November 12th, the Illini head to Lubbock to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders, one of the top teams in the country. It would certainly be nice for David Mirkovic to be full-go and fully integrated back into the lineup by that time.

Thank you for reading Armchair Illini! The Armchair team is proud to partner with Hamilton Walker’s Steak, Seafood, and Spirits. Reserve your table HERE. Enter our home game giveaways on our social media pages to win a $100 gift card.

We are also proud to partner with the Campus Ink Illini NIL Store! Use the code: ARMCHAIRILLINI for 15% off your purchase. Please subscribe to the Armchair Illini Podcast on YouTube here.

Above all, for feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at alexkyi13@gmail.com. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing Illinois media outlets around.

Finally, please subscribe to Basket Under Review, our affiliate partners for the best college basketball content