Jump to content
IAC Board

Former General forwards make most of first year in NCAA


administrator

Recommended Posts

SHERIDAN — Former Sheridan College forwards AJ Bramah and Sasa Vuksanovic stepped up for their new schools in their first year at a four-year institution.

Both Bramah and Vuksanovic were the second-leading scorers on their teams, with 13.4 points per game and 13.6 points per game, respectively.

Bramah helped Division I Robert Morris University to a 20-14 overall record, 13-5 Northeast Conference record and qualify for the NCAA tournament. He led the team with 8.6 rebounds per game.

“Making it D1 is a blessing because every kid does not get a chance to do that, then being able to qualify for the big dance is a blessing too,” Bramah said. “There are some players during their four years that do not even touch it. Just to qualify for it was huge for the team.”

The NCAA tournament was canceled this season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vuksanovic was second in rebounding with 6.2 rebounds per game and led the team with 2.4 assists per game as Division II University of Hawaii-Hilo finished 12-14 on the year and 7-4 in conference play. Vuksanovic started every game this past season.

Both players had to adjust to the new leagues in which they were playing. Bramah had to get used to the increased speed and physicality. Vuksanovic also had to get used to the increased strength of players along with adjusting to a different speed of play.

Vuksanovic said junior college basketball was faster paced and there are more set plays at the Division II level. Every game was a battle, and if you were not ready to play, you would lose.

Developing trust and listening to the coaches helped the players reach a high level of play. Vuksanovic said he had a good relationship with the coach and earned the minutes needed for a good year.

More difficult classes and adjusting to a new climate were some early challenges Vuksanovic had to overcome during his first few weeks at UHH. A native of Serbia, he has played basketball in Maine, Texas, Wyoming and now Hawaii.

Wyoming was a colder climate, where Hawaii is sunny all the time and there is humidity, Vuksanovic said. It took 30 hours to travel to his new school, and he struggled adjusting to the time change, too.

Bramah said he learned throughout the year and tried to be a sponge, soaking up the knowledge and advice from veteran players. He did not try to do too much, and listened to the coaches, doing what they asked of him.

It was solid year for Vuksanovic, his best year of basketball so far, but he believes he and the UHH team are capable of performing better next year.

For the offseason, Vuksanovic plans on working on his jump shot and defense while increasing his weight.

“Last season, I realized I need to put on more weight and muscle,” Vuksanovic said. “Players in my league are strong, and I need to be ready to compete all year long against good competition.”

Guard skills will be the focus of Bramah’s offseason training. Coaches are looking to play him more in the three position, so he will need to improve his dribbling and 3-point shot, Bramah said. He only attempted one 3-pointer last year. He is also trying to add 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason.

Both players will return to their respective schools for competition next season.

https://thesheridanpress.com/126159/former-general-forwards-make-most-of-first-year-in-ncaa/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...