David Mirkovic Lands in EvanMiya Preseason Top 10 as Two Other Illini Crack Top 20

The analytical tool EvanMiya rates three Illinois players in its projected top 20 entering 2026-27, including a couple of surprises

Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) celebrates after scoring Saturday, March 21, 2026, during the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament second round game against the VCU Rams at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As a freshman, David Mirkovic averaged 13.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists for an Illinois team that went to the Final Four. Those are stellar numbers for a first-year player. But do they signal an All-American jump in Year 2?

The vast majority of experts say yes – a sentiment we agree with. And the advanced metrics do, too. On Wednesday, EvanMiya, an analytical tool created by Evan Miyakawa and relied on by more than 120 Division 1 programs (per his site), released its top 30 players. Mirkovic landed at No. 10.

David Mirkovic lands in top 10 of EvanMiya 2026-27 preseason rankings

Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward David Mirkovic (0) is fouled by Connecticut Huskies guard Silas Demary Jr. (2) in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Among Big Ten players, Mirkovic was ranked by EvanMiya behind only Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., who topped the entire list. Mirkovic, interestingly, did have the lowest defensive rating of any player in the top 10.

Summer buzz in Champaign was centered around increased athleticism and agility for Mirkovic, which possibly suggests impending defensive growth. He was already a surprisingly effective player on that end in 2025-26. Tacking lateral ability onto his sturdy frame, long arms and hoops IQ, Mirkovic could be an exceptional – and quite versatile – defender come 2026-27.

But his foot injury and recovery process could put a pin in that defensive progress. At least early in the season, Mirkovic may not be operating at his ceiling from an athletic standpoint – and certainly not from a conditioning perspective. 

Once he gets it all back, though, Mirkovic could be a sneaky high-level defender. And his offensive ability is no secret. He is already one of the best players in the country on that end (which doesn't include his excellent rebounding).

Two more Illini crack top 20 of EvanMiya preseason player rankings

Feb 1, 2026; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini center Tomislav Ivisic (13) and center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) celebrate after a shot in the first half against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seeing Mirkovic on the list wasn’t a shock. But the pair of Illinois players who followed was at least a mild one. Big man Tomislav Ivisic landed at No. 15 while his twin brother, Zvonimir, was No. 19.

As expected, Big Z’s defensive rating is superb. Of the top 30 players, Zvonimir has the fourth-highest defensive rating (4.50), and he is No. 1 among Big Ten players. That's one heckuva projection for a player who averaged just 17.2 minutes last season.

Tomislav, meanwhile, earned his ranking thanks to his work on both ends of the floor. His offense isn’t far behind Mirkovic’s (5.97 to 5.25), and his defense is solid as well (3.06).

The main takeaway: Illinois’ frontcourt may be even better than initially expected. The analytics love this Illini trio. Big Z is projected as a top-20 player in the country in terms of efficiency … and he is going to come off the bench.

Tomislav is severely underrated (by the non-analytics). And Mirkovic should have the season everyone is expecting. The next step: everyone needs to get healthy.