Stock Rising for South Kent Big Man
With the list of available big men rapidly dwindling in the national class of 2011, South Kent big man Nemanja Djurisic has seen his recruitment go to another level as he continues to play well.
The Montenegro native is coming off an official visit to Arizona State over the recent holiday break which saw him take in a win over Long Beach State and leave with a very positive impression of the Pac 10 school.
The visit was Djurisic’s second of the year after taking an official to East Carolina earlier this fall, with two more trips on the horizon South Kent head coach Kelvin Jefferson said last week.
“He visited Arizona State over the break and East Carolina earlier this year,” Jefferson said. “Now we’re in the process of scheduling visits to Utah and N.C. State.”
A variety of other programs remain involved according to Jefferson with Charlotte, Rhode Island, Georgia, and St. John’s all having expressed recent interest and schools like Fairfield and Stony Brook still hanging in there after having recruited the big man for the better part of the last year.
“The more he plays the more schools come in,” Jefferson said. “The interest continues to grow for the kid.”
Djurisic is currently in his second year at South Kent after having arrived from Montenegro in the fall of 2009. His recent recruitment is a reflection of the tremendous growth his game has seen within the last two years.
“He knows how to play and he brings a high major skill set,” Jefferson said. “He can step out and hit the three-point shot, has great hands and great feet down low, and what he really does is that he really passes. If you’re a high major you have to look at a kid who can shoot it, pass it, and score it on the low block.”
While Djurisic has the skill set that has become a staple of European bread big men, one thing that separates him from some of his peers is how well he has adjusted to the speed and physicality of the American game.
“He’s evolved since he’s been here and adapted to his environment,” Jefferson said. “He’s become a rugged kid. He’s going to go out and get his fair share of rebounds now.”
With Djurisic’s skills and productivity still expanding at a consistent rate, look for his recruitment to continue to grow accordingly, as more and more schools come to realize that he is one of the top available post prospects left on the board.
Nemanja Djurisic