Prep Profile – Lee Academy

New England Recruiting Report | Thursday, November 13th, 2014

As Igor Vrzina begins his second season at the helm of the Lee Academy program the Pandas again have a roster with a distinct international presence, yet this group is notably more athletic and better equipped to play the up and down transition style that is so prevalent on the prep school circuit.

If there is one player on the roster who epitomizes the difference between this year’s team from last year’s, it is Dusan Majstorovic, who returned for his post-graduate season after debuting for Lee last year as a senior.

The six-foot-five Serbian native has always been a talented catch-and-shoot player, but while he was somewhat slow a foot and methodical a year ago, now he’s flying up and down the court, running lanes with newfound athleticism, and showing an ability to finish at the rim.

Majstorovic, who pledged to Utah State earlier this fall, is one of just two players on the roster to be already committed. The other is fellow Serbian, Ilija Stojiljkovic, who committed to Maine last weekend while on his visit. A skilled six-foot-seven perimeter forward, Stojiljkovic is as smart as he is skilled and so while he’s very adept at executing in the half-court, his ability to take the ball off the defensive glass and start the break with his dribble will also help the team get up and down more.

The rest of the Serbian contingent includes: Adnan Halilovic, a rugged six-foot-seven interior player who also holds dual citizenship in Bosnia; Nedeljko Prijovic, a long and intelligent senior forward with some notable upside; and southpaw junior point guard Stefan Jevdjenijevic.

Rudolfs Stradnieks, a six-foot-nine senior from Latvia, is a highly talented four-man who plays into the team’s increased emphasis on athleticism while also being able to provide a high level of skill in the half-court.

Anton Bilous, a six-foot-four swingman from the Ukraine, is a pure shooter from behind the three-point line and very possibly one of the most accurate snipers in all of New England this season.

Alessandro Panzieri, a six-foot-seven lefty from Italy, will be another consistent part of the frontcourt rotation while six-foot-ten big man Lee Yafei is a talented long-term prospect from China.

The backcourt depth is no less impressive than we’ve seen up front and on the wings. The most familiar names are those of Jourdain Bell and Joseph Bell, who transferred in from New Hampshire after last season. They’ll be joined by Anthony Mcnish, a power sophomore guard who has already attracted attention from the likes of Indiana and others.

At six-foot-four, Sergio Darwich is one of the most versatile players on the team. He’ll see some time at the point but will be capable of playing all three perimeter positions. Federico Barniezi will see some back-up minutes at the point as well while Walter King’s ability to defend the basketball and create off the dribble could be critical to the increased tempo that Lee hopes to achieve.

While this group is making a concerted effort to be more capable playing at a fast tempo, they’re still likely to be one of the better executing half-court clubs in New England with the prevalence of skill and basketball I.Q.

Regardless of their style of play, this is a group that has not yet attracted levels of interest in correlation to the depth and talent of their roster. Don’t expect that to be the case for much longer as they are set to take part in next week’s National Prep Showcase and then take on the very best prep competition the region has to offer for the next few months.