On Wednesday, Illinois released a two-minute clip of “summer pickup” highlights. There are obvious caveats anytime we try to draw conclusions from footage of this kind, including: 1) The competitions appear to be open runs, not structured five-on-five scrimmages; 2) it’s mid-July; and 3) we’re watching a fraction of the action – and only what the program wants us to see. Take it all with a grain of salt.
But there is always something to be gleaned from these moments, and in this case the clips offered a handful of interesting insights. Here are three takeaways from the Illini’s summer highlights:
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Three major takeaways from Illinois basketball’s July 2026 highlights
David Mirkovic is … athletic?
Let’s not send the wrong message: David Mirkovic, even as a freshman in 2025-26, wasn’t exactly a pylon. But his athleticism – which coach Brad Underwood dubbed “functional athleticism” – wasn’t the kind of bouncy, quick-twitch movement we often come to expect from the best college hoops players.
Seemingly, though, Mirkovic is now both functionally and traditionally athletic – or, at the very least, more acrobatic and explosive than he was a year ago. On on occasion in the video below, he creates space off the bounce and cans a stepback triple. Mirkovic also showed off a spin dribble into a finish at the rim and hit a pull-up three in secondary transition.
And, of course, the biggie: Mikrovic tried to dunk it on Zvonimir Ivisic. As you might have expected, that (overambitious) endeavor was put to a swift end via an emphatic rejection from Big Z – but just the attempt told a story of its own. Mirkovic is more athletic and he knows it – which means it should increasingly translate to his game and enhance his already-polished skill set.
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Quentin Coleman can be downhill threat No. 2
July 19, 2025; North Augusta, South Carolina, USA; Brad Beal Elite Quentin Coleman (1) gestures to a teammate as Team Durant Evans Barning Jr. (7) defends during the Brad Beal Elite and Team Durant game at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam at Riverview Park Activity Center. Brad Beal Elite won 91-59. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale – Augusta Chronicle/USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The entire college hoops world knows Andrej Stojakovic can get to the rack. But who else on the Illini can take advantage of the stretched floor (thanks to shooters across the board)? Transfer Stefan Vaaks has some of that ability, but 68.3 percent of his attempts from the field as a freshman at Providence came from beyond the arc.
Cue Quentin Coleman. He may have earned his top-20 high school ranking in large part due to his buttery-smooth stroke from deep, but the freshman can also really get to the rack. He has a quick first step – it doesn’t hurt that his shooting forces hard closeouts – and at the rim, Coleman has an advanced finishing package and elite body control, and he absorbs contact tremendously well. (Go to 1:11 in the video for some quality evidence.)
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Tomislav Ivisic needs more post touches next season
Illinois has so many guys. Underwood’s task – finding touches for every Illini – is admittedly a difficult one. But Tomislav Ivisic must touch the rock more often in 2026-27.
At 7-foot-1 and 270 pounds, Ivisic has a feathery-soft touch, can play over either shoulder and has the feet of a ballerina, not to mention underrated patience. Ivisic rarely showed his dominant back-to-the-basket ability in 2025-26, but he showed it often in his first season with Illinois to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt what he could do.
In the Illini’s summer highlights, Ivisic appeared to be far and away the strongest player on the floor. His jumper – which, by the way, is unfathomably fluid for a 7-footer – makes him a weapon on the perimeter and helps pull opposing bigs from the paint. But beyond his shooting, his brute physicality around the rim was attention-grabbing in that just-released footage.
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And considering Ivisic will be the biggest player on the floor in the vast majority of contests and happens to be really gifted around the basket, Underwood and his staff need to be careful not to overthink the offensive strategy. Often in 2026-27, the best play will be the simplest one: Get Ivisic the ball inside.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/illinois as 3 Key Takeaways From Illinois Basketball’s Summer Highlights.
