Illini Basketball 2026-2027
Not gonna imply anyone is lying…. But looking back - 1) was Skyy’s shoulder actually injured to the extent that he couldn’t have played at Northwestern? 2) Do we REALLY know how (and how severely) KJ injured his hand?
I am unfortunately going with two UNC buddies of mine, and another who is a Duke fan but will be an Illini fan that night
They don’t know I got us tickets in the corner of the Illini bench
skyIdub
"I can't tell you. Secret."
That's how I took it too. Not that he will be out until January, I took it as he doesn't want the injury to linger or come back up in January or later in the season.
Because the normalization is complete. Never admit or acknowledge anything negative, deny, obfuscate and deflect. I think it actually may be a fake boot and fake scooter. And if the media asks another question about it they will be banned. (Probably me too now)
Agreed. This feels like the fanbase is being gaslit and BU is trying to underscore the significance of this setback
Guys, it's not Watergate.
Mirk's injury was a fracture that was surgically repaired. There's a screw in there keeping it in place until the bone fuses. BU has been clear that structurally there is no problem with that. Reading between the lines, the latest scan probably just showed that the bone is taking longer to fuse than the initial, likely optimistic, timeline and so they put the boot back on to prevent a setback, not because of a setback. If there was a true setback, i.e. failure of the hardware, Mirk would be back in an operating room, not a boot.
Coming from someone who broke their foot and had a boot, this seems to be taking a long time to recover from if it wasn't a setback. That was my experience, everyone's body is different though. Especially using a scooter, they had walking boots literally 20 years ago haha
There are different parts of the foot, and depending on where it is, and the severity of the fracture, the time to heal can be quite different. Also, did you have surgery? That obviously impacts recovery time as well. A fracture that requires surgery and hardware is almost certainly going to take longer to recover than one that just requires someone to wear a boot while the bone fuses.
The team has not publicly released any info on where exactly the fracture is. And they are not obligated to. As one example of a type of injury that lines up more with Mirk's timeline than yours from 20 years ago, take a Jones fracture. A Jones fracture also requires surgical repair and hardware, and the Cleveland Clinic puts the estimated recovery time at 3-4 months post surgery. Mirk had his surgery in early August, so if this is the type of injury he had, his return timetable would be in the early November to December range.
What Is a Jones Fracture?
A Jones fracture is a common type of broken foot bone. Learn what causes them and how they’re treated.
my.clevelandclinic.org
Oh hell yeah now we’re breaking out the medical journals. Basketball season is BACK!
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
I'm really just doing my best not to think about this for as long as I have that luxury, and I am certainly not interested in getting any language battles over the definition of the word "setback".
But I think anyone with any familiarity with big men and foot/ankle problems in basketball reacted to the initial news with not so much a question of when he would be back, but a question of when he would be himself again.
It's bad. Nothing to do but hope.
But I think anyone with any familiarity with big men and foot/ankle problems in basketball reacted to the initial news with not so much a question of when he would be back, but a question of when he would be himself again.
It's bad. Nothing to do but hope.
we need a little more....
there are too many darn little bones in the foot!
there are too many darn little bones in the foot!
altgeld88
- Arlington, Virginia
Again with the orange scripts in nearly every media piece featuring a photo of a uniformed Illini player. Why? Because it's gorgeous and an undeniable branding win for us.
Could it be a “Basketball Jones” fracture?There are different parts of the foot, and depending on where it is, and the severity of the fracture, the time to heal can be quite different. Also, did you have surgery? That obviously impacts recovery time as well. A fracture that requires surgery and hardware is almost certainly going to take longer to recover than one that just requires someone to wear a boot while the bone fuses.
The team has not publicly released any info on where exactly the fracture is. And they are not obligated to. As one example of a type of injury that lines up more with Mirk's timeline than yours from 20 years ago, take a Jones fracture. A Jones fracture also requires surgical repair and hardware, and the Cleveland Clinic puts the estimated recovery time at 3-4 months post surgery. Mirk had his surgery in early August, so if this is the type of injury he had, his return timetable would be in the early November to December range.
What Is a Jones Fracture?
A Jones fracture is a common type of broken foot bone. Learn what causes them and how they’re treated.
… sorry
...I know the coach is not a doctor, but I'm sure he was coveyed the same information by the medical staff...That's all he had to say when asked rather than the word salad he gave..
I think it’s Brad’s choice of words throwing people off- when he says “nothing happened” or “no setback” I think he means he didn’t reinjure it/no specific event happened and the scan looks like it’s supposed to- but clearly there is a reason the doctors recommended getting him back in the boot. Having soreness or pain could have been the reason and going back to a boot for a couple of weeks and starting the ramp up process again is a common way to address that. So if he’s out of the boot by end of next week, then a 4 week ramp up, that would put us in early/mid Dec. which is what insiders are saying.
We’re also hitting 3 months post surgery next week so it’s not about bone fracture anymore but it’s about the muscles and conditioning and getting back to game shape which will take a while
We’re also hitting 3 months post surgery next week so it’s not about bone fracture anymore but it’s about the muscles and conditioning and getting back to game shape which will take a while
The Top 76 Players in Men’s College Basketball for 2026–27, Ranked
In a nod to the expanded NCAA tournament, here are the 76 players projected to make the biggest impact this season.
www.si.com
62. Andrej Stojaković, Illinois, SF
Stojaković needed time to settle into a new after transferring to Illinois last offseason, but was a huge part of the Illini’s run to the Final Four last year. All signs point to a Year 2 leap; he’s more comfortable as a shooter and has blossomed into an excellent perimeter defender as well. —K.S.
57. Stefan Vaaks, Illinois, PG
Vaaks is Illinois coach Brad Underwood’s kind of guy. A lengthy 6'7" guard who can attack the basket downhill, is a major threat from three-point range and a capable rebounder who will likely be tasked with crashing the glass more frequently, particularly on the offensive end, with the Fighting Illini. —T.C
46. Tomislav Ivišić, Illinois, C
Ivišić, a pick-and-pop big who can space the floor and is an adept passer, is the perfect center for Underwood’s spread offense. Ivišić bulked up in the offseason, and his improved frame and conditioning could result in some added impact on both ends of the floor for the Fighting Illini. —T.C.
1. David Mirković, Illinois, PF
Illinois has had some unbelievable players under Underwood, from Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn to Terrence Shannon Jr. and Keaton Wagler. The Illini believe Mirković may go down as the best when all is said and done. His game could absolutely explode this season as Illinois’s primary creator, capable of scoring from everywhere on the floor while also being an outstanding passer. Plus, he’ll play in one of the nation’s best offensive systems. Expect a massive year for a team with Final Four expectations. —K.S.
I am not trying to make this into a conspiracy and by no means am I a Doctor, but for BU to say there is no setback when he went from dunking and not wearing a boot to no longer playing and wearing a boot seems inaccurate. I would be curious what foot surgeries put in the recorvery plan for you to test out some dunks before going back into a boot.