Miroslav Jakšić

Miroslav Jakšić
No. 25 – Grand Canyon Antelopes
Position Power forward
League Western Athletic Conference
Personal information
Born June 13, 1995
Belgrade, Serbia
Nationality Canadian
Listed height 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight 220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High school W.F. Herman
(Windsor, Ontario)
Walled Lake Western
(Walled Lake, Michigan)
College Grand Canyon (2014–present)

Miroslav "Miro" Jakšić (born June 13, 1995) is a Canadian college basketball player who currently plays for the Grand Canyon Antelopes. Although born in Belgrade, he officially represents Canada in international competition. He competed with Canada at the 2011 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship. Jakšić attended Walled Lake Western High School in Commerce Township, Michigan and W.F. Herman Secondary School in Windsor, Ontario in his early years.

High school career

Jakšić began playing high school basketball at W.F. Herman Secondary School in Windsor, Ontario. In his first season, he averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds. As a freshman, he stood 6'6" and weighed under 160 pounds.[1] Jakšić improved on his numbers in his sophomore year, posting 25 points and 12 rebounds per game in 2011. He competed in the Consortium Fall League in September and gave many scouts the chance to see him play. Jakšić eventually rose to fame locally, being named an All-Star at the Toronto Junior Rimrocker Tournament and the Most Valuable Player of the Junior Sarnia Northern and Riverside Tournament.

In the summer of 2012, Jakšić took part in the Orange & White NBA Classic at the Five Star Super Session. The White team, who he was playing for, suffered a 93-68 defeat despite him scoring 13 points in the first quarter.[2] He was forced to leave the game because he had to catch a flight back to Canada.[3]

Jakšić received positive comments from head coach Jamie Stewart, who he worked with at the Elite Basketball Training Academy in Windsor. Stewart said, "He is the best player in this area since 1990 at least, if not ever."[1] For his next year in high school, Jakšić moved to Walled Lake, Michigan and began to attend Walled Lake Western High School in Commerce Township, Michigan. With Western, he instantly slipped into the recruiting radars of major college basketball programs.[3] On November 30, 2012, Jakšić scored 36 points against Pershing High School from Detroit. He opened his final season with the Warriors by adding 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks in a 49-40 victory over Plymouth High School of Canton, Michigan. Head coach RaRedding Murray said that Jakšić was all but certain to attend prep school the following year to further improve his game. He maintained a grade point average of 3.5.[4] At the conclusion of his tenure with Western, Jakšić was named McDonald's All-American Honorable Mention and received All-State accolades.

Collegiate career

Jakšić received offers from several different NCAA Division I programs: Eastern Michigan, Iowa State, Northwestern, Rhode Island, and Western Michigan. Michigan, Providence, Purdue, Texas, and Toledo were also included in his college choices.[5] He attended the Michigan Wolverines' college practice camp in the summer, giving him exposure in front of the team's coaching staff.[6] Jakšić said, "It was a great experience. I got to play in front of the Michigan coaches. It was good competition there. They showed us the school, it was a great chance to go and meet other prospects in Detroit."[6] The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team and other major programs also recruited him hard in 2014.

However, Jakšić ultimately chose to sign with the Grand Canyon Antelopes with a full scholarship.[3] He made his collegiate debut on November 14, 2014 against the No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team at Rupp Arena.[7] Jakšić played six minutes, finishing with one block and a missed pair of free throws.[7] He commented after the game, "I think it was a good game for us because even though we lost, we grew from it. By playing the No. 1 team in the country, you get more confidence when you play other teams."[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Miro Could Be Best Player from Windsor Ever". AllEyesonUHoops.com. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Wingate, Maurice. "Five-Star Orange & White Classic". Rivals.com. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Miroslav Jaksic 6'11 PF". EBTA.ca. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
  4. ↑ Markowski, Tom. "Prep Insider: Coach Wydell Henry passes his first test at Pershing". The Detroit News. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "Miroslav Jaksic". Rivals.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stapleton, Joe. "2014 big man Miroslav Jaksic attracting interest from Michigan, Duke". UMHoops.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Miroslav Jaksic grows with GCU basketball program". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved 24 January 2015.