Renowned Sacramento-area high school basketball prospect Andrej Stojakovic announced his commitment to play college basketball at Stanford on Monday.
“I chose Stanford for me because it was the best basketball decision, but also the best academic and long-term decision,” Stojakovic said from the Zoom headquarters in San Jose, where he made the announcement. “I believe that Stanford is the place that will allow me to achieve my dreams on and off the court.”
The 6-foot-6-inch, 17-year-old pared down his final schools to Oregon, Stanford, Texas and UCLA after garnering interest from blue-blood programs all over the country, reportedly including Kansas, Kentucky, Duke and a slew of others. Stojakovic made the announcement just before the start of his senior season at Jesuit, where he’s expected to graduate in June.
“As a player he is tremendous,” Jesuit basketball coach Tim Kelly told The Bee. “(He) can do whatever he wants on a basketball court. Extremely skilled, competitive and incredibly hard working. As a person he is humble and kind. Comes from a great family. His parents have raised him to be a well rounded young man. Andrej is a joy to coach.”
Stojakovic, like his father, Kings sharp-shooter Peja Stojakovic, is a slick outside shooter with a refined offensive game. He’s considered one of the top high school prospects in the country, while some believe he could be an NBA lottery pick as soon as 2024.
“It’s been extremely long, but also exciting at the same time,” Stojakovic said of the recruiting process. “I’ve gotten the chance to meet a lot great people and great coaching staffs throughout the process. But after talking with my family for a long time, I feel comfortable with the decision I made.”
Stojakovic will join fellow top prospect, Kanaan Carlyle with the Cardinal for the 2023 season. Carlyle is a five-star point guard from the Altlanta area whom Rivals ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect and No. 5 point guard in the country. Carlyle made his commitment to Stanford in July.
Landing Stojakovic and Carlyle is a coup for Stanford coach Jerod Haase, who also signed Jesuit standout Isael Silva before last season. Stojakovic said he’s “excited” to play with Carlyle next year and he’s “a big believer in what they’re building there.”
Stojakovic noted his relationship with Haase and assistant coach Rob Ehsan played a big role once coaches were allowed to contact him when the recruiting process began after his sophomore season in the spring of 2021.
“As soon as the live period started last spring, coach Ehsan and coach Haase have been with me every step of the way,” Stojakovic said. “They’ve treated my like family from the beginning. The relationship has only gotten strong and bigger since then.”
This story was originally published November 07, 2022 1:45 PM.
