Brad Underwood’s Illinois is facing a steep injury crisis early in the season. They had to adjust to the absence of five players in the last win over Colgate. Mihailo Petrovic and Brandon Lee, Ty Rodgers, and Tomislav Ivisic were all out of action. It seems Ivisic and Petrovic are trending towards a return. The only known facts regarding Ivisic’s injury before this update were that it was a knee injury and that it occurred in practice. Now, Underwood has himself explained the nature of his injury and indicated potential return against Alabama.

“Everything with him is because it’s a knee is the reaction, and he’s got a bone bruise. So, it becomes a reaction to what he does that day in practice,” Underwood revealed in an interview with Rothstein on ‘Inside Basketball’. The recovery from a bone bruise depends on a case-by-case basis. It’s an injury that occurs due to an unexpected impact, usually from a blow or fall. According to Underwood, Ivisic is progressing well, and we can expect him back soon. 

“We feel good about the way he’s progressing. Tommy’s a very very very tough kid, and so I know he no one’s more competitive. No one wants to be out there more than him. We’ll see. He’s doing light stuff and moving around better now than he was two or three days ago.” He said,  And again, he did more here in this morning’s practice than he did yesterday. And we’ll see how he reacts.” When asked if he will be available against Alabama, Underwood said, “Potentially. Potentially. It’d be a game-time decision.”

Both Ivisic and Illinois need his consistent fitness. In his first season in the US last year, Ivisic dealt with multiple cases of strep throat, mono, and a rolled ankle, which prevented him from performing at his best. Even with the obstacles, the 7-foot-1 center averaged 13.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 32 games while being Illinois’ most reliable three-point shooter (35.7%). This season, he has the chance to become their most impactful player. 

While they managed to fend off Texas without Tomislav Ivisic, the squad will be elevated once he comes back. Going up against Nate Oats’ Alabama, who defeated St John’s last week, Ivisic could become the X-factor.  While Alabama has lost against No.2 Purdue, they are still a force to be reckoned with. Against one of the top teams, Underwood would love to have his star center. Ivisic will give them heavy rebounding. 

Purdue’s 19 offensive boards were key in their win over Alabama, and Tomislav Ivisic’s addition will give Illinois a leg up in that regard. However, it will depend on how his injury recovers to 100% or Illinois won’t risk it so early in the season. From one injured Balkan to another, Underwood also gave a positive update regarding Mihailo Petrovic’s hamstring injury. 

Mihailo Petrovic’s Almost Cleared For The Alabama Debut 

Brad Underwood has dipped into the international market and brought in multiple prospects. Mihailo Petrovic is one of them. The playmaker was top 10 in the Adriatic league in points per game with 14.2 points per game and second in the league in assists at 7.3. All while shooting 49% from the field and a respective 33% from deep.

So, he was expected to have some impact on this Illinois team, giving them further depth. However, Petrovic’s debut was delayed after he suffered a hamstring injury in the preseason scrimmage against the Florida Gators. He has been out ever since, slowly recovering on the sidelines. The coach has indicated that he might make his competitive debut soon.

“I think we’re in a better spot with Petrovic now. I think we’ve let that hamstring go long enough, and he’s been he was he’s had productive couple days. It’s the first time in and since the first two practices, he’s gone through an entire practice the last two days,” He said. 

Petrovic thrives with speed. He is a player who relies on his burst and ability to win foot races on the floor to make an impact. So, making sure that the hamstring is at 100% will be even more important for him. His arrival in Illinois was already delayed because of the NCAA’s long wait to confirm his eligibility. He hasn’t practiced and played with the team much, so integrating him into competitive action as soon as possible will be important