High-potential Cougar men’s hoops forward enters portal

Andrej Jakimovski, one of Washington State’s top-rated recruits of all time — who saw ample minutes as a true freshman last season — has entered the NCAA men’s basketball transfer portal.

Verbal Commits broke the news via Twitter on Wednesday.

Jakimovski, the 6-foot-8 “point forward” from North Macedonia, started 19 games for the Cougars in 2020-21, posting averages of 5.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists per outing.

WSU coaches saw big potential in Jakimovski — considering his size and strength, ball skills, shooting touch from around the court and overall positional versatility. His playing style was compared to that of NBA star Luka Doncic.

According to 247Sports.com, the four-star recruit is the Cougars’ sixth-highest rated signee of all time. His commitment in summer 2020 was hailed as a major recruiting win for coach Kyle Smith and Co.

Jakimovski, a low-tier professional in Italy before his time in crimson, scored in double figures in eight games for WSU, which arguably had its best season in a decade and finished 14-13. He played 25.2 minutes per game and shot 32 percent from 3-point range — Jakimovski’s deep ball was highlighted by coaches as an important asset. He dropped 19 points on Stanford on Jan. 9 for his career high.

Jakimovski found his groove at about midseason before falling into a funk later in the year, and struggling with injury-prompted inconsistencies. He flirted with triple-doubles in back-to-back games vs. Cal and Stanford in mid-February.

Yet it appears his potential won’t be realized, at least not in Pullman.

It’s not the worst news for Coug fans, whose program has quickly and considerably enhanced its prowess on the recruiting trail under Smith, the third-year coach.

Kim Aiken Jr., the Big Sky’s reigning defensive player of the year, hopped ship to the Palouse from Eastern Washington. The Cougars also brought in Mouhamed Gueye, a 6-11 four-star signee — WSU’s No. 2 rated recruit of all time — who’s a potential starter at forward. Junior DJ Rodman should provide depth as a reliable defender and 3-point shooter.

Clark may be contacted at cclark@lmtribune.com, on Twitter @ClarkTrib or by phone at (208) 627-3209.