The road back to the court took a strange turn for Illinois star David Mirković when it was announced over the weekend that he underwent an emergency appendectomy.

Mirković, who had been rehabbing from August foot surgery, had the procedure on Saturday with head coach Brad Underwood breaking the news to reporters on Sunday. The shocking setback cast serious doubt on his availability beyond the time he was expected to miss from the existing foot injury, and Underwood was unable to provide a clear timeline for when they could expect the preseason All-American forward back in the lineup.

We can still only speculate when this may be, but Underwood did give a telling update on Monday that gives a sprinkle of optimism on an otherwise gloomy scenario.

Following the dominant 120-45 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson, Underwood told reporters that Mirković's appendix did not burst, and that he underwent a laparoscopic surgery rather than an open appendectomy.

Appendicitis, or inflammation of the appendix, often results in removal to avoid the risk of infection and other complications that come when an appendix bursts. In some cases, it goes untreated and a rupture can occur without warning. This usually requires the traditional open appendectomy.

In the case of Mirković, according to Underwood, this worst-case scenario was avoided. The less invasive laparoscopic surgery presents several advantages over an open appendectomy.

According to Mountain View Surgical Associates, the benefits of a laparoscopic appendectomy include reduced postoperative pain, quicker recovery, lower risk of wound infections, and patients typically experience "a smoother recovery, shorter downtime, and a quicker return to work or everyday activities."

While there are other factors at play including age, severity of inflammation, and underlying conditions, it is generally considered a more manageable surgery to come back from. In addition, Mirković avoiding a full rupture of the appendix likely saves him some valuable time during the rehab process.

Beginning the year without one of the team's best players was always going to be a tough obstacle, but the additional uncertainty of Mirković's surprise surgery felt like a crushing blow. However, the latest from Underwood is about as positive of an update possible all things considered.

A shortened timeline for the appendix recovery does not guarantee a return within the next month and some change, as he will still need to regain some baseline strength and conditioning as well as get his foot back to 100 percent, but it appears the hill he has to climb isn't quite as high as it could have been.