Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – You can just see the progression that Milan Jaksic has taken this season.
The Windsor, Ont. power forward is flashing a silky smooth three-pointer to go with a physical inside presence and a more consistent defensive game in his second season of U SPORTS basketball for the MacEwan Griffins.
"I think he's gotten stronger, and I think he's learning to play within himself," said Griffins head coach Mike Connolly. "He's a guy who's an atypical U SPORTS kid. He's 6-5, can shoot the three, he's big and strong inside and rebounds. So, he'll be able to have a good career.
"I think this year you're seeing him be more consistent with his shot, he's making some more moves. He's still a little inconsistent, but he's getting after it. He's our second leading scorer and one of our leading rebounders, so he's just growing and growing. By the end (of his U SPORTS career), he'll be pretty good."
Jaksic is set to lead the Griffins (0-10) into their first action of the second semester this weekend when they host the Trinity Western Spartans (6-4) on Friday (8 p.m.) and Saturday (4 p.m., both David Atkinson Gym, Canada West TV).
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Jaksic is second on the Griffins in points (10.5 per game), second in rebounds (5.6) and second in assists (1.2). Beyond the averages, though, he's shown the ability to score big for the Griffins, such as when he put up 27 points against UFV on Nov. 5 (tied for the eighth most in a single game in MacEwan's Canada West history).
Milan Jaksic is currently second on the Griffins in scoring, averaging 10.5 points per game (Robert Antoniuk photo).
"That's the thing is he has the ability to score inside, outside and all over the place," said Connolly. "He's working on the ball handling to be able to create shots, but right now he can shoot it and he's aggressive. I love the physicality he plays with. He's just growing into a leader. He does well as a student."
In other words, Jaksic is exactly the recruit Connolly thought he was getting when he pitched the benefits of MacEwan to him on a trip out from Ontario in 2019.
"Mike reached out to me in my Grade 11 year," said Jaksic, a product of Windsor's Herman Academy and Kennedy high school. "He liked my style and believed I could help the program. I came out here for a visit and he showed me a lot of love. Out of any other school, I decided to come here because of how he respected me. It gave me a glimpse of what I could do. He believed I could actually start here and build a career to play further. After university, I want to play pro."
He has a template to follow on that front. Jaksic's older brother Miroslav recently wrapped up a pro career that took him to Spain, Morocco, China, and Sweden after a post-secondary career spent playing NCAA Div. 1 at Grand Canyon University and U SPORTS basketball at the University of Toronto.
"He just told me from high school to university, it's a very big change," said Milan of his older brother's advice. "He just told me to hustle. I'm also working with him in the summer to become better skills-wise. He's teaching me a lot as well. He's teaching me a lot about basketball and teaching me how to become successful on the court."
Growing up in a basketball family, Jaksic is mentored by his older brother, who played professionally (Robert Antoniuk photo).
He also has his brother and parents to thank for getting into the sport.
"My brother was super tall (6-foot-11), and they believed he could do something with basketball," said Milan Jaksic. "He played for Team Canada when he was 16 (in the Americas Championship). So, he opened that pathway for me.
"I actually liked soccer, but my dad, seeing I was getting taller and bigger than everyone, kind of forced me into basketball. But I'm thankful because I got a scholarship and I got to play at a good school with a good coach."
NEW ADDITION
As the Griffins enter the second semester, they'll be bolstered by a new international from Spain. Hailing from Madrid, 6-foot-6 guard Hugo Alonso will be phased into the lineup immediately.
"He'll be dressing, he'll be playing," said Connolly. "He's a mixture between Eric (Lopez) and Marco (Correas, two recent Griffins players from Spain). He's a 6-6 guard who can shoot it but is a playmaker like Eric. He comes with good pedigree – his dad was a lifetime pro over in Spain and his brother played on the U17 national team that beat the U.S. in the summertime. He's played on junior national teams. He's only 19.
"He's not going to come in and score 40, but he'll come in and get you 18 with eight boards, six assists. He will fill up the stats sheet and I love his defence. He'll play. We'll gradually get him playing more minutes when he gets to know our system."
