Basketball
Illinois Basketball Lands 4 Players in Early 2027 NBA Mock Draft — But One Is Missing
There are plenty of ways to measure the talent on the Illinois basketball roster heading into the 2026-27 season. Recruiting rankings, transfer portal rankings and preseason projections can all tell us something. But perhaps the most telling measurement is what NBA scouts think of the players who will take the floor in Champaign this season.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released an early 2027 NBA mock draft, and Illinois is all over it. Four Illini are among the 60 projected selections, with Quentin Coleman coming in at No. 17 overall, Stefan Vaaks at No. 38, Zvonimir Ivisic at No. 44 and Andrej Stojakovic at No. 52.
That’s four different Illinois players projected to hear their names called in the 2027 NBA Draft. But there’s a pretty significant name missing from the list — David Mirkovic.
And that’s what makes this mock draft even more interesting from an Illinois perspective.
Why no Mirkovic?
It’s certainly possible Mirkovic’s absence is simply a product of timing. The Illinois sophomore is currently recovering from a foot injury after undergoing surgery, and Bleacher Report’s mock was released before Mirkovic had a chance to begin his sophomore season. There is no indication that the injury is specifically why Wasserman left him off the board, so it would be unfair to make that connection as fact.
But it’s hard not to wonder what Mirkovic’s stock would look like if he were healthy and coming off the freshman season he just had.
Mirkovic was one of the most productive young players in the Big Ten last season, averaging 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from three. He wasn’t simply a young player getting minutes on a talented Illinois roster. By the end of the season, he had become one of Brad Underwood’s most important pieces during the Illini’s run to the Final Four.
That makes his absence from a 60-player mock draft notable. Because if Mirkovic comes back healthy and continues to develop, it’s easy to see why NBA scouts could eventually come calling.
Quentin Coleman is leading the way
The highest-ranked Illinois basketball player on Wasserman’s board is freshman guard Quentin Coleman, who comes in at No. 17 overall.
That’s a significant projection for a player who hasn’t played a college game yet, but it also speaks to the opportunity Coleman has in front of him. With Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell no longer in the Illinois backcourt, Coleman is expected to take on a much larger role offensively.
Bleacher Report points to Coleman’s ability to score at all three levels, his athleticism, and his potential to become a high-usage offensive player. If Coleman can live up to that projection, Illinois could have another first-round pick developing right in front of it. And he isn’t the only one.
Three more Illini are on the board
Stefan Vaaks, Zvonimir Ivisic and Andrej Stojakovic give Illinois three more players on Bleacher Report’s 60-player board.
Vaaks is projected No. 38 overall, Ivisic is No. 44, and Stojakovic is No. 52. That’s an interesting combination because all three bring something different to the table.
Vaaks gives Illinois another big, versatile perimeter player. Ivisic provides the kind of size and skill combination that NBA teams have increasingly valued in today’s game. And Stojakovic enters his second season at Illinois with another opportunity to show that his scoring ability can translate to the next level.
Add it all together, and Illinois has four players from four different spots on the roster sitting on an early NBA mock draft.
And then there’s Mirkovic. That’s the part that makes this roster particularly fascinating.
Overall thoughts
Illinois basketball doesn’t have one potential NBA player surrounded by a bunch of college-only pieces. The NBA talent is spread throughout the roster. There is a potential lottery pick in Coleman, multiple second-round candidates, and a player in Mirkovic who has already shown enough as a freshman to make the omission from this particular mock draft worth watching.
And Illinois is coming off a season in which it already sent Keaton Wagler to the NBA as the No. 5 overall pick. So the Illini have gone from developing one potential NBA player to potentially having a handful of them at the same time.
Of course, this is August. Mock drafts change. Players rise. Players fall. Some players who aren’t even on the board right now will become first-round names by the end of the season.
That’s why Mirkovic’s situation is worth monitoring. If he returns healthy and picks up where he left off, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his name begin appearing on these lists, too.
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