Tomislav Ivisic to miss time as Illinois basketball cannot avoid injury bug

Junior center Tomislav Ivisic injured his knee in practice on Wednesday and did not suit up against Florida Gulf Coast.

“I would expect him to miss a little bit,” said Brad Underwood.

Ivisic finds himself on the injury report again this season, following last year when he battled mono and other illnesses that sidelined him for multiple games. The center was expected to be one of the Illini’s best players this season, but will now miss an extended period with a lower-body injury.

What’s next?

Underwood confirmed that Tomislav Ivisic will undergo MRIs and scans to determine his timetable for return. As of now, the injury will not be season-ending.

“The one thing I know about Tomi is he’s as tough as any kid I’ve coached. He’s going to do anything in his power to be back as soon as he can,” said Brad Underwood in his postgame interview.

Tomislav’s absence did not affect the outcome on Friday night against a lesser opponent. However, he will be greatly missed against Texas Tech on Tuesday. Illinois’ frontcourt depth will be tested when Texas Tech big man and potential National Player of the Year candidate JT Toppin visits the State Farm Center.

Toppin averaged 18.2 points per game last season and recorded 31 points and 14 rebounds in the Red Raiders’ last game. He currently holds the third-best odds on DraftKings to win the Wooden Award.

Tomislav’s twin brother, Zvonimir, started in his place against Florida Gulf Coast and will need to step up in a big way with Tomislav out. Zvonimir provided the Illini with a strong defensive presence on Friday night, finishing with 16 points, seven blocks, and nine rebounds.

According to the analytical site Evan Miya, Tomislav was ranked as a top 15 player in the country this preseason. The Illini will look to Zvonimir Ivisic and redshirt freshman Jason Jakstys to fill the void at the center position during Tomi’s absence.

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