The No. 3 ranked Illinois men’s basketball team was dealt brutal news less than two days before their season opener when it was revealed that preseason All-American David Mirković required emergency surgery to remove his appendix.

The sophomore forward has spent the past several weeks rehabbing from August foot surgery and was not going to be available for the early part of the season. But now, it will be more than just a walking boot that keeps Mirković off the floor for the start of the year.

In announcing the appendectomy on Sunday, Fighting Illini Head Coach Brad Underwood was unable to provide a clear timeline for Mirković to make a full recovery.

"(Mirković) is going to be out. He has had a continued setback," Underwood told reporters. "He had his appendix removed last night. We don't know what that means. Can't give you any further update than that."

Mirković, who was just named a Naismith Trophy Men’s College Player of the Year Watch List alongside Tomislav Ivišić and Andrej Stojaković, remained in a walking boot and weight-bearing scooter late last week and was seemingly still weeks away from getting back on the court. His estimated return date was murky at best before the appendectomy. Now, as Underwood points out, they simply don't know when they will get their star back.

The Cleveland Clinic establishes 6-weeks as a standard full recovery timeline from appendix surgery, however it can vary drastically depending on the person. Rehabbing from an appendectomy requires very little physical activity, particularly anything that would strain the abdominal muscles.

Considering the existing foot injury, Mirković should have no problem staying off of his feet for the next few weeks. But once the foot and appendectomy symptoms both start to subside, there may be a potentially lengthy period of strength and conditioning necessary to return to play.

A recent example to point to would be All-NBA superstar and former MVP Joel Embiid, who underwent emergency appendectomy on April 9th earlier this year. Embiid made a stunning recovery and returned just 17 days later to face the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the Philadelphia 76ers first round series. His gutsy return proved paramount as they mounted a 3-1 comeback to advance past the Eastern Conference rival.

For No. 3 Illinois, the stakes won't be so dire just yet. The Fighting Illini have enough talent to remain afloat while Mirković is ensured the proper care and rest needed to get back to 100 percent. But with the 20-year-old now facing an absence that could extend beyond 2026 and into January, any additional setback would prove costly to his bid at season awards.