Jacob Ognacevic bounces back after missing season due to injury and leads Lipscomb into NCAA Tournament
'Sam Dekker was from my hometown and went to the high school I went to,' Ognacevic recalled of the Badgers forward on those teams. 'Just watching a hometown guy play on that stage was really cool to see.'
A decade later, Ognacevic is getting his own taste of March Madness within driving distance of home. Lipscomb (25-9) is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018 and will face Iowa State (24-9) in Milwaukee.
Lipscomb, the No. 14 seed in the South Region, beat North Alabama 76-65 in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament championship game for its sixth consecutive victory. Ognacevic led Lipscomb to this point by averaging 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds as the Atlantic Sun player of the year.
It's quite a comeback for a guy who didn't play at all last season due to a bone bruise in his right knee. The 6-foot-8 senior forward returned better than ever, posting career highs in virtually every statistical category.
'I think I've become a better passer,' Ognacevic said. 'Two years ago, I didn't really get any assists or anything. Now I can pass out of double-teams. I'm shooting the 3 ball better this year. I would say, too, my post game has gotten better, attacking the hoop. I've gotten stronger since I last played two years ago.'
Ognacevic spent one year at Valparaiso before entering the transfer portal in the midst of the pandemic, which prevented him from visiting any of the schools he was considering. Ognacevic was relying on Zoom sessions and phone calls with coaches as he made his decision.
He averaged 11.2 points primarily in a reserve role for Lipscomb in 2021-22 and had 17.7 points per game in 2022-23. Then he had to sit out a year. Now he's on college basketball's biggest stage.
'I think every kid dreams of playing in the NCAA Tournament,' Ognacevic said. 'Just being able to do that is going to be a dream come true.'
Ognacevic is one of several notable players from mid-major or low major programs who bear watching this week. Here's a look at some others:
Nate Johnson, G, Akron
First-round game: vs. Arizona in Seattle.
Notes: Johnson made a game-winning basket with 2 seconds left as Akron (28-6) rallied from an 18-point deficit in a 76-74 Mid-American Conference championship game victory over Miami (Ohio). That play highlighted a banner season for Johnson in which he was named the MAC's overall player of the year and defensive player of the year. The 6-3 junior averages 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals.
Bez Mbeng, G, Yale
First-round game: vs. Texas A&M in Denver.
Notes: The 6-4 senior was selected as the Ivy League's overall player of the year and defensive player of the year. It's the second straight season in which he's been named the league's defensive player of the year. Mbeng has three triple-doubles this season for Yale (22-7). He's averaging 13.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.9 steals. He had five steals in Yale's NCAA Tournament first-round victory over Auburn last season.
Max Shulga, G, VCU
First-round game: vs. BYU in Denver.
Notes: Shulga, a 6-5 senior from Ukraine, was named the Atlantic 10 player of the year. This is his second season at VCU (28-6) after spending three years at Utah State. He has posted scoring averages in double figures each of the last three seasons. He's averaging 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4 assists this season.
Bennett Stirtz, G, Drake
First-round game: vs. Missouri in Wichita, Kansas.
Notes: When Drake hired coach Ben McCollum away from Northwest Missouri State, Stirtz was one of four players from the Division II program who followed him to his new school. Stirtz has produced better statistics at Drake (30-3): The 6-4 junior was an easy choice as Missouri Valley Conference player of the year after leading the league in scoring (19.1) and steals (2.2) He also has 5.7 assists per game and leads all Division I player in minutes per game (39.2).
Marquel Sutton, F, Omaha
First-round game: vs. St. John's in Providence, Rhode Island.
Notes: Sutton heads into the NCAA Tournament having scored at least 18 points in 14 straight games for Omaha (22-12). The Summit League player of the year has 19.1 points and 8 rebounds per game. Sutton was named the Summit League Tournament's most valuable player after collecting 22 points and 18 rebounds in an 85-75 championship game victory over St. Thomas.
Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, G/F, UC San Diego
First-round game: vs. Michigan in Denver.
Notes: Tait-Jones has a knack for drawing fouls, as his 293 free-throw attempts lead all Division I players. The 6-6 swingman from New Zealand earned Big West player of the year honors while helping Division I newcomer UC San Diego (30-4) win 15 straight games and earn an NCAA Tournament berth in its first season of eligibility. Tait-Jones averages 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
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