Changes to NIL and eligibility rules haven’t just opened up opportunities for domestic basketball stars to spend longer careers in college, it’s also opened the door to European players who have developed in professional basketball overseas. Illinois head coach Brad Underwood has tapped this new pipeline of talent as well as anyone in the country with Kasparas Jakucionis, Tomislav Ivisic, and now his twin brother Zvonimir who transferred from Arkansas after following John Calipari there from Kentucky.
Now, Underwood has added another. Landing a commitment from David Mirkovic, who played for the same team as the Ivisic twins in the Adriatic League. The 19-year-old will head to Champaign from the SC Derby, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
NEWS: 6'9 Montenegrin big man David Mirkovic has committed to Illinois, his agent Misko Raznatovic told ESPN. The 19-year-old averages 8.8 points, 6.7 rebounds in 23 minutes in the Adriatic League. He's competing at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland this week. pic.twitter.com/z6EfW8HwRW
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 8, 2025
Illinois basketball lands David Mirkovic from Adriatic League
The 6-foot-9 big man from Montenegro will join a talented roster that will look to be much steadier than it was this past season. Underwood’s squad was one of the most volatile in the country en route to its second-round NCAA Tournament exit, but the Fighting Illini were incredibly talented.
Jakucionis has yet to make a decision regarding his NBA future, but if he does return to Champaign after a dazzling freshman season averaging 15 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists, then Illinois could be a Big Ten title contender thanks almost exclusively to international recruiting. Even five-star Will Riley, who faces an NBA decision of his own after his freshman campaign, was the top Canadian prospect in the 2024 recruiting class.
The NIL money flowing to college basketball is enough to entice talented young European players to leave professional contracts for a collegiate career with hopes of getting better exposure to NBA talent evaluators. Very few head coaches have adjusted to this reality, but Underwood is going all-in on foreign talent, and though he didn’t make it deep into March Madness, the strategy seems to be paying off.
A frontcourt that features both Ivisic twins along with Mirkovic figures to be formidable in the Big Ten, and if either Riley or Jakucionis opts to return for another season of college ball, Underwood could head into the 2025-26 season with a completely foreign starting lineup. Even if the Illini don’t compete for a title next season, Underwood deserves credit for his creativity in search of a market inefficiency.