Illinois Dominates Jackson State Behind Strong Effort from International Players
The No. 17 Illinois basketball team kicked off its season with a resounding 113-55 victory over Jackson State, showcasing its firepower in the process. The Illini's success was largely fueled by their new international players, including David Mirkovic, who scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the charge.
Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro, made an instant impact on his debut game. He was one of four international players to join the Illinois roster this season, and he demonstrated why he's been highly touted by coaches and scouts alike. His performance was bolstered by that of teammates Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic, who both scored 21 points.
Despite missing several key players due to injury, Illinois outrebounded Jackson State 61-19 and made 17 three-pointers. The Illini's hot shooting and defensive prowess allowed them to build a massive halftime lead of 60-27. Their offense continued to flow smoothly in the second half, with Keaton Wagler adding 18 points and Jake Davis chipping in with 13.
The Tigers, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm against Illinois' stifling defense. Devin Ree scored 19 points for Jackson State, but his team's shooting woes – they shot just 30.6% from the field – made it difficult for them to mount a significant comeback.
Jackson State will face another tough test when it takes on No. 2 Houston next, while Illinois looks forward to welcoming Florida Gulf Coast to the Kohl Center this Friday night. The Illini's strong start sets the tone for what promises to be an exciting season in Champaign.
The No. 17 Illinois basketball team kicked off its season with a resounding 113-55 victory over Jackson State, showcasing its firepower in the process. The Illini's success was largely fueled by their new international players, including David Mirkovic, who scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the charge.
Mirkovic, a 6-foot-9 freshman forward from Montenegro, made an instant impact on his debut game. He was one of four international players to join the Illinois roster this season, and he demonstrated why he's been highly touted by coaches and scouts alike. His performance was bolstered by that of teammates Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic, who both scored 21 points.
Despite missing several key players due to injury, Illinois outrebounded Jackson State 61-19 and made 17 three-pointers. The Illini's hot shooting and defensive prowess allowed them to build a massive halftime lead of 60-27. Their offense continued to flow smoothly in the second half, with Keaton Wagler adding 18 points and Jake Davis chipping in with 13.
The Tigers, on the other hand, struggled to find their rhythm against Illinois' stifling defense. Devin Ree scored 19 points for Jackson State, but his team's shooting woes – they shot just 30.6% from the field – made it difficult for them to mount a significant comeback.
Jackson State will face another tough test when it takes on No. 2 Houston next, while Illinois looks forward to welcoming Florida Gulf Coast to the Kohl Center this Friday night. The Illini's strong start sets the tone for what promises to be an exciting season in Champaign.
! It's not often you see a team dominate like that from the get-go, and I think Mirkovic's performance was super impressive. The way he combined points and rebounds is just textbook basketball skill 
. And what's even more interesting to me is how their coaching staff has been able to seamlessly integrate these new faces into the team's system 
. It'll be fascinating to see how they navigate some of those tougher games later on – but for now, I'm feeling pretty optimistic about their chances this season 
DAVID MIRKOVIC IS A GAME CHANGER AND I'M SO HYPED TO SEE HIM PLAY MORE! 
BEN HUMRICHOUS AND TOMISLAV IVISIC ARE COMING ALONG TOO, THEY'RE GONNA BE TURBO CHARGED WITH THOSE GUYS ON THE TEAM. 
the defense is looking STRONG too, they need to keep up that energy and it'll be a BLAST TO WATCH THEM PLAY! 
. I just hope they don't forget about their American teammates amidst all the excitement - gotta make sure everyone gets playing time and feels included, you know? 
It's also great that Illinois is outrebounding Jackson State by 42, shows they're really getting into a rhythm... fingers crossed they can keep that up against Houston! 
! Their new international players are straight flames, can't wait to see more of David Mirkovic's skillz 
But seriously, Jackson State got totally dominated, gotta give props to Illinois' defense 
. The Illini are lookin like a top contender this season, fingers crossed they can keep up that pace 
. Like, 113-55 is insane! And those international players are just too good to be true - I mean, who becomes a star freshman overnight? 
Not impressed by their defense either, outrebounded JSU by 42 and still managed to make 17 three-pointers... what's next? 
... I mean, it was a pretty one-sided game. But at the same time, I think Jackson State did alright considering they were missing some key players and their offense just couldn't catch up with Illinois' three-point frenzy 
they got lucky that jackson state didnt have all their players because idk, it looks like they were missing some key guys and still managed to put up 55 points tho, thats crazy. mirkovic is def making waves tho, montenegro rep for real! 
️! what's really interesting to me is the impact of these international players on their game strategy. it's all about adaptability, you know? being able to pick up new teammates and systems on the fly 
. anyhoo, I'm hyped for this season – can't wait to see more of these talented fresh faces in action! 
19 points 14 rebounds on debut? that's insane! 
don't know how they're gonna lose with him on the court... guess we'll see how they do against Houston next 
. I love how they outrebounded Jackson State 61-19, that shows they're on top of their game. And can we talk about David Mirkovic's stats? 19 points and 14 rebounds in his debut game? Yaaas, he's gonna be a star! 
and that's what made the difference. I'm intrigued to see how they'll handle their next matchup against Houston 
And yeah, JSU got torn apart, but you can't blame them for not being ready yet 
still excited to see what the rest of the season holds tho 
The way they outrebounded Jackson State 61-19 was insane. And can we talk about Keaton Wagler's stats? 