Illinois head coach Brad Underwood did not sugarcoat what he saw. After No. 13 Illinois suffered a gut-wrenching 83-80 loss to No. 23 Nebraska on a near buzzer-beater at State Farm Center, Underwood’s postgame remarks about freshman forward David Mirkovic quickly went viral and for good reason.
“David was in Serbia today,” Underwood said. “He wasn’t in this building. I couldn’t play him. Couldn’t put him in the game.”
The comment was blunt, bordering on brutal, and it underscored a larger issue that defined Illinois’ first Big Ten loss of the season. A lack of mental sharpness…