After a successful season in which they lost a close matchup to Blue Ridge in the VISAA Division 2 State Championship, Virginia Episcopal School seems poised for another breakout season with four of their starters returning. The two big names…
After a successful season in which they lost a close matchup to Blue Ridge in the VISAA Division 2 State Championship, Virginia Episcopal School seems poised for another breakout season with four of their starters returning. The two big names from last season, Justice Kithcart and Sacha Killeya-Jones, both had breakout seasons on the AAU circuit, committing to Pittsburgh and Kentucky, respectively.
The big splash that VES Head Coach Curtis Staples made this season wasn’t from the fertile grounds of North Carolina, where three of his starters, including the two aforementioned ones, are from. He brought over a relatively unknown point guard from Eastern Europe named Adnan Arslanagic to help run the show.
“It’s a big difference,” Arslanagic said about the adjustments he’s had to make playing in America. “It’s a lot faster over here. There’s much more passing, and there’s not as much one-on-one play.”
The 5’11 point guard has made a name for himself in his home country, playing for the 16U national team over the summer. The pass first lead guard says that playing for the national team was a great experience and honor, but feels that his best chance to continue to improve his game is over here in the States.
“It’s always an honor wearing the national jersey on your chest,” Arslanagic said. “I want to work more individually during the summer. It’s always an honor to wear your national flag on your chest, but I think it will be better to work individually this summer.”
Coach Staples wasted no time making Arslanagic a focal point in the offense, as he joined Kithcart in the starting backcourt in their opening weekend at the Phenom National Showcase. While it took him a little bit of time to get his feet wet, he showed a tremendous skill set with the ability to push the ball in transition, create for his teammates and shoot the deep ball with consistency. He has a knack for running an offense, but understands he has a long way to go if he wants to be a division one college basketball player.
“I have to work on my athleticism, because there are a lot of athletic players over here. I also want to continue to refine my shooting and ball handling, because that’s vital for a point guard.”
With his high IQ and skill set, expect to hear from the junior lead guard as he continues to adjust to the American game. His all around skill set and work ethic should catch the eye of coaches across the college landscape.