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Illinois Loses Starter 'Indefinitely' — How Brad Underwood Can Respond
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- Illinois Loses Starter 'Indefinitely' — How Brad Underwood Can Respond
When senior forward Jake Davis hurt his shoulder early into the first game of the University of Illinois men's basketball squad 's 2026-27 season, it looked bad from the jump. Losing Davis in the first half didn't impact the outcome of an eventual 120-45 decimation of the lowly Fairleigh Dickinson Knights.
Senior shooting guard Andrej Stojaković and sophomore transfer shooting guard Stefan Vaaks almost matched Fairleigh Dickinson single-handedly, notching a combined 40 points (20 apiece).
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But when the going gets tougher in the weeks and months ahead, there could be serious ripple effects.
Now, it appears that there is no timeline for a Davis return. He went under the knife to treat a separated left shoulder.
An extended Davis absence could throw the club's championship aspirations into disarray. The 6-foot-6 senior finished last year's charmed run to the 2026 Final Four installed as a starter.
Never much of a scorer, Davis was at least efficient when he did get the rock. In 2025-26, he averaged 5.4 points on .429/.406/.750 shooting splits, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.7 assists a night.
llinois Fighting Illini forward Jake Davis (15) shoots during the first half.
How Brad Underwood Can Pivot Sans Jeff Davis
With Illinois now down a starter possibly for good this year, can head coach Brad Underwood rally his troops and keep the team in the running for serious NCAA contention this season?
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6-foot-7 freshman forward Zavier Zens, a three-star recruit out of Wisconsin, was subbed in for Davis to kick off the contest's second half against Fairleigh Dickinson.
Zens performed well in his official college debut. He scored 12 points on 4-of-10 field goal shooting (including 2-of-7 shooting from distance) and 2-of-2 free throw shooting, while also chipping in three rebounds and two assists (against one turnover).
Zens was one of six Illinois players to score in double digits during the rout. The team enjoyed a massive 65-21 rebounding edge, while shattering the Fighting Illini's record of made 3-pointers, with 19 converted triples.
When the No. 3-ranked Fighting Illini tip off against Pennsylvania on Friday night, will Zens be Underwood's new starting power forward?
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There is, after all, another Davis on the roster — 6-foot-9 freshman three-star recruit Landon, who was Underwood's seventh man against FDU.
Losing Jeff Davis' veteran leadership is a bummer, sure. But the team's three most important players heading into the season — Stojaković, fifth-year center Tomislav Ivišić, and sophomore forward David Mirković — remain intact.
Allocating more run to Zens and Landon Davis could give Illinois more of a scoring punch than Jeff Davis ever did, although clearly Underwood valued his play on both sides of the ball.
