Illini Basketball 2026-2027

NarrowJ · Jul 23, 2026

PleaseMakeABowlGame said:
I don’t think his lesser minutes was all injury. In games he was healthy, he would rarely get 30 or more minutes.

Next year, he was probably guaranteed more minutes and a bigger role.

Having the knee fixed in the offseason tells me it was something he was playing through the entire season in all likelihood.

Remember he missed a month or more last preseason with a bad knee sprain? His subsequent injuries were all lower body stuff too, but I think he was playing on this knee all season that was less than 100%. CH did same thing his last season here; said he was playing on “half my knee” or something iirc.

pruman91 · Jul 23, 2026

lstewart53x3 said:
I haven’t seen anyone say he’s going to be the best player in the country, but he is currently 4th in player of the year betting odds. So it’s not just homer Illini fans who think he will be one of the best players in the country.

the juiceman cometh · Jul 23, 2026

Has anyone considered that Mirk's improvement might also come on the defensive end? Double-double (pts and rebounds) with something around 3 assists a game and improved defense would be pretty nice.

I also think he can get that 2pt% up above 60%. He was good in that area but having had more time with Fletch I think he can be more efficient there. He does that he doesn't need to improve the 3pt% to be a more efficient scorer. Momcilovic hit 67% of his 2pt attempts last season, I think even if he doesn't hit that number Mirk can improve on his 56% (which is already good, don't get me wrong).

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? · Jul 23, 2026

the juiceman cometh said:
Has anyone considered that Mirk's improvement might also come on the defensive end? Double-double (pts and rebounds) with something around 3 assists a game and improved defense would be pretty nice.

I also think he can get that 2pt% up above 60%. He was good in that area but having had more time with Fletch I think he can be more efficient there. He does that he doesn't need to improve the 3pt% to be a more efficient scorer. Momcilovic hit 67% of his 2pt attempts last season, I think even if he doesn't hit that number Mirk can improve on his 56% (which is already good, don't get me wrong).

Those are very good places to make betterments. But again, we’re talking MARGINAL improvements. Add up all those improvements and he becomes a significantly better PLAYER….

but his scoring stays around 14-15 points/game rather than the 18+ everyone seems to be projecting. Those projections I’m struggling to see because the improvements you’re seeing - that I’m seeing as well - increase his scoring average by 1 or 2 points as opposed to 5 points.

Kofi’s scoring went from 13 to 17 fresh to soph, but he was 1 of only 2 scoring options on that team (which had a 118 o rating compared to the 131 last year). This team has 5.

Yaxel was outstanding last year, and only averaged 15 a game. I think Mirkovic will have a similar offensive impact (though they are different).

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? · Jul 23, 2026

PleaseMakeABowlGame said:
I don’t think his lesser minutes was all injury. In games he was healthy, he would rarely get 30 or more minutes.

Next year, he was probably guaranteed more minutes and a bigger role.

It was all injury.

He wasn’t healthy all year, with not one but TWO leg injuries.

Just becomes a point where you can’t strain it too much with heavy workload, as the leg is already vulnerable.

lstewart53x3 · Jul 23, 2026

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? said:
Those are very good places to make betterments. But again, we’re talking MARGINAL improvements. Add up all those improvements and he becomes a significantly better PLAYER….

but his scoring stays around 14-15 points/game rather than the 18+ everyone seems to be projecting. Those projections I’m struggling to see because the improvements you’re seeing - that I’m seeing as well - increase his scoring average by 1 or 2 points as opposed to 5 points.

Kofi’s scoring went from 13 to 17 fresh to soph, but he was 1 of only 2 scoring options on that team (which had a 118 o rating compared to the 131 last year). This team has 5.

Yaxel was outstanding last year, and only averaged 15 a game. I think Mirkovic will have a similar offensive impact (though they are different).

Can you show me more than one post of people projecting 18+ points per game for Mirk?

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? · Jul 23, 2026

NarrowJ said:
No certainty here, I think any of Stoj, Vaaks, Mirk could lead the team in scoring. I would guess there won’t be a wide margin between the 3. If forced to make up numbers I’d go Stoj 17 and Vaaks/Mirk 15 each.

Yes this is where I'm at. Something like:

Stoj - 16
Mirk - 15
Vaaks - 15

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? · Jul 23, 2026

Fly Illini Fly! said:
Two big areas for improvement:

— can’t be a negative AST to TOV guy; 0.8 last year (anything under 1 counts as negative).

— has to become at least a 30% 3pt shooter; 24.4% last year.

If he can do both, on top of what he can do defensively, that’s the best two-way star in the big ten (maybe the country).

Agreed on the 3s.

The assist to turnovers, the context is he's not asked to be an initiator, and that's why we have Vaaks and Coleman.

But, there was way too many times he would have tunnel vision and cost us possessions.

Fly Illini Fly! · Jul 23, 2026

Monster article (with lots of Illinois):

https://twitter.com/x/status/2080317544817103287

lstewart53x3 · Jul 23, 2026

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? said:
Those are very good places to make betterments. But again, we’re talking MARGINAL improvements. Add up all those improvements and he becomes a significantly better PLAYER….

but his scoring stays around 14-15 points/game rather than the 18+ everyone seems to be projecting. Those projections I’m struggling to see because the improvements you’re seeing - that I’m seeing as well - increase his scoring average by 1 or 2 points as opposed to 5 points.

Kofi’s scoring went from 13 to 17 fresh to soph, but he was 1 of only 2 scoring options on that team (which had a 118 o rating compared to the 131 last year). This team has 5.

Yaxel was outstanding last year, and only averaged 15 a game. I think Mirkovic will have a similar offensive impact (though they are different).

lstewart53x3 said:
Can you show me more than one post of people projecting 18+ points per game for Mirk?

Too late to edit, so replying again. The search feature isn’t perfect, but I ran a search and from what I found, not only is not everyone saying he’ll average 18+ a game, I couldn’t find a single post saying that.

Fly Illini Fly! · Jul 23, 2026

Monster article (with lots of Illinois):

https://twitter.com/x/status/2080317544817103287

"All-American prophecies

FIRST TEAM

26. PG Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt

27. PG Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State

28. PG Rob Wright, BYU

29. F Tommy Haugh, Florida

30. F Flory Bidunga, Louisville

SECOND TEAM

31. PG Braylon Mullins, UConn

32. G Trey McKenney, Michigan

33. SF Tyran Stokes, Kansas

34. F Thijs de Ridder, Virginia

35. C Motiejus Krivas, Arizona

THIRD TEAM

36. G Silas Demary Jr., UConn

37. SF Amari Allen, Alabama

38. SF Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska

39. F David Mirkovic, Illinois

40. 3F Braden Huff, Gonzaga"

.....

"45. G Stefan Vaaks
Transferring from: Providence | To: Illinois

The scout: The 6-foot-7 lead guard has limitless range and can navigate ball screens with craft and uncoachable feel. The defense may never be even adequate, but Vaaks' combination of size, shooting and playmaking is so tantalizing. Vaaks' value ticks up because he can be an impact player on or off the ball. Vaaks fits like a glove in an Illinois scheme that is so guard-friendly. There's NBA potential here if his shot selection and feel for the game improve."

.....

"Best (projected) offenses

46. Illinois:

Even without the brilliant Keaton Wagler, Illinois has the personnel to be a blowtorch offensively. The Illini's offensive spacing is immaculate. No team gets more 3s from its frontcourt. That opens up the paint for a guy like Andrej Stojakovic to put a ton of pressure on the rim. Illinois has multiple candidates to mismatch hunt and create advantages. Sophomore forward David Mirkovic is going to have a massive season as a pass-dribble-shoot 4-man who has trimmed down his body. Big man Tomi Ivisic could lead all centers in 3s this season. Stojakovic projects to be one of the top isolation scorers. Providence transfer Stefan Vaaks is a jumbo lead guard who can drain parking-lot treys and whip dots. Illinois will have some excellent cutters on the floor in Jake Davis and five-star freshman Quentin Coleman, too. All this shooting and skill paired with an identity that demands offensive rebounding is one dangerous combination."

.....

"Final Four prediction that's sure to be wrong

101. Duke, Michigan State, Illinois, Florida"

TheGMan · Jul 23, 2026

Fly Illini Fly! said:
Monster article (with lots of Illinois):

https://twitter.com/x/status/2080317544817103287

Hmm article lists Jake Davis as an "excellent cutter." Not sure that's the part of his game that should be highlighted

Guest · Jul 23, 2026

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Fly Illini Fly! · Jul 23, 2026

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? said:
Looks like Vaaks's worst game last year came against Marquette on March 4th. He had 4 points / 1-12 from the field / 0-8 from 3.

I'll be honest: the ONLY thing that's holding me back with Vaaks, is his lack of ability to get to the rim. He only attempted 2.1 shots per game at the rim last year.

For context, Keaton was at 3.9. Kylan was at 3.7. Kasparas was at 3.4.

.....

He also only attempted 3.9 twos per game.

Every starter on our team last year minus Tomislav, was above 5.0. In 2025, 4/5 starters were above 5.0 as well (with Tre White at 4.8).

.....

His 51.7% 2pt percentage will improve, I have no doubts. Quite literally every transfer we've gotten has improved their 2pt% after arriving here.

It's the ability to not be purely perimeter oriented, and get downhill for more of those opportunities, that I think he needs to work on.

Bucktown · Jul 23, 2026

TheGMan said:
Hmm article lists Jake Davis as an "excellent cutter." Not sure that's the part of his game that should be highlighted

It is actually quite valuable. Movement without the ball is a very important part of the offense, especially because Jake is such a dangerous shooter. When he cuts the defense has to pay attention to him which leaves openings for other players.

Combo · Jul 23, 2026

TheGMan said:
Hmm article lists Jake Davis as an "excellent cutter." Not sure that's the part of his game that should be highlighted

Maybe they're hoping he cuts his hair.

EmeraldCityIllini · Jul 23, 2026

TheGMan said:
Hmm article lists Jake Davis as an "excellent cutter." Not sure that's the part of his game that should be highlighted

I agree I’m not sure “cutter” in the traditional sense would be what I highlight, although he does get quite a few baseline sneak layups - the Houston game on the mirk pass jumps out.

But he’s excellent at “relocating” for a shooter. He always has the right lead on where to shift on the floor behind the arc - which maybe some people would classify as a form of cutting?

PleaseMakeABowlGame · Jul 23, 2026

TheGMan said:
Hmm article lists Jake Davis as an "excellent cutter." Not sure that's the part of his game that should be highlighted

it also said Vaaks has "uncoachable feel" but in the very next sentence states he has NBA potential if his "feel for the game improves."

WhereDoWeStandWithStorr? · Jul 23, 2026

TheGMan said:
Hmm article lists Jake Davis as an "excellent cutter." Not sure that's the part of his game that should be highlighted

Is Jake Davis not an excellent cutter?

We rarely see him stationed with zero movement without the ball.

DICKnaggie · Jul 23, 2026

TheGMan said:
Hmm article lists Jake Davis as an "excellent cutter." Not sure that's the part of his game that should be highlighted

Jake doesn't cut often, but when he does, he is pretty good at it. I'd argue that adding a bit more of that to his game would open him up for even more 3's.

PleaseMakeABowlGame · Jul 23, 2026

NarrowJ said:
Having the knee fixed in the offseason tells me it was something he was playing through the entire season in all likelihood.

Remember he missed a month or more last preseason with a bad knee sprain? His subsequent injuries were all lower body stuff too, but I think he was playing on this knee all season that was less than 100%. CH did same thing his last season here; said he was playing on “half my knee” or something iirc.

Coleman played 31.5 minutes per game.

PleaseMakeABowlGame · Jul 23, 2026

Fly Illini Fly! said:
I'll be honest: the ONLY thing that's holding me back with Vaaks, is his lack of ability to get to the rim. He only attempted 2.1 shots per game at the rim last year.

For context, Keaton was at 3.9. Kylan was at 3.7. Kasparas was at 3.4.

.....

He also only attempted 3.9 twos per game.

Every starter on our team last year minus Tomislav, was above 5.0. In 2025, 4/5 starters were above 5.0 as well (with Tre White at 4.8).

.....

His 51.7% 2pt percentage will improve, I have no doubts. Quite literally every transfer we've gotten has improved their 2pt% after arriving here.

It's the ability to not be purely perimeter oriented, and get downhill for more of those opportunities, that I think he needs to work on.

None of those guys are as perimeter-centric as Vaaks.

Vaaks is here to make threes and make passes. Downhill drives are not his game. We have Andrej, Coleman, Mirk for that.

Fly Illini Fly! · Jul 23, 2026

https://twitter.com/x/status/2080303492015505506

NarrowJ · Jul 23, 2026

PleaseMakeABowlGame said:
Coleman played 31.5 minutes per game.

I don't know if we're calling CH a liar here, but he missed 2 or 3 games near the beginning of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury and then played the rest of the season with the bad knee.

Coleman Hawkins Continues Playing Through Pain in Illini’s NCAA Tournament Run - IlliniGuys.com

Illinois senior forward Coleman Hawkins says he’s more intensely monitoring an injury situation to his left leg that has hampered most of his 2023-24 season. Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer March 23, 2024 OMAHA, Neb. — During each of the three open locker room sessions of this NCAA...

illiniguys.com

Paid article, but the relevant quote is: "It felt like (Thursday) I was playing on one leg"

PleaseMakeABowlGame · Jul 23, 2026

NarrowJ said:
I don't know if we're calling CH a liar here, but he missed 2 or 3 games near the beginning of the 2023-24 season with a knee injury and then played the rest of the season with the bad knee.

Coleman Hawkins Continues Playing Through Pain in Illini’s NCAA Tournament Run - IlliniGuys.com

Illinois senior forward Coleman Hawkins says he’s more intensely monitoring an injury situation to his left leg that has hampered most of his 2023-24 season. Matt Stevens, IlliniGuys Staff Writer March 23, 2024 OMAHA, Neb. — During each of the three open locker room sessions of this NCAA...

illiniguys.com

Paid article, but the relevant quote is: "It felt like (Thursday) I was playing on one leg"

I’m not calling CH a liar. I’m saying despite playing hurt, he still played 31.5 minutes per game.

Which means, playing hurt has less to do with your minutes than how much the team values you.

About the original point - Andrej not playing 30 minutes a night has more to do with him not being valuable enough to play that amount, than just being hurt.

We couldn’t play Kylan and Andrej together, because they were two subpar shooters. Tough decisions had to be made with different lineups.

Illini Basketball 2026-2027

"Final Four prediction that's sure to be wrong​

"Final Four prediction that's sure to be wrong