Stefan Jankovic

Jonathan Givony

One of the more unique prospects seen this weekend, Stefan Jankovic (Unranked Scout, Unranked Rivals, Unranked ESPN) isn't a very well-known or highly regarded player in the US right now, but will surely be drawing heavy interest from high major schools shortly.

Jankovic stands out due to his rare combination of size, skills and smarts at the small forward position, standing 6-9, with terrific ball-handling ability. He is a fluid athlete with good mobility and the ability to play above the rim, and does an excellent job creating his own shot from the perimeter with either hand and getting to the basket with a nice first step and a terrific crossover. He'll regularly grab a rebound and handle the ball himself coast to coast, showing a little Hedo Turkoglu-type flair in the process.

Very fundamentally sound, Jankovic can pass off the bounce or take the ball all the way to the rim and finish impressively himself, even if he would be well served continuing to add strength to maximize his athletic potential. His broad shoulders and well -roportioned frame lead you to believe that he should be able to do so in time, but he must improve his toughness, as he shows little to no interest in taking advantage of his size inside and tends to struggle in traffic against more physically developed players.

As a shooter, Jankovic is somewhat streaky at this point, but should be able to develop considerably in this area as he has good mechanics and nice touch, and already shows the ability to make shots off the dribble. He looked more comfortable in his slashing ability than in his shooting here in New Haven, to the point that he may have passed up some good looks to instead over-dribble into traffic, which is something to keep track of down the line.

Defensively is where Jankovic might have to improve the most to show that he can play on the perimeter full time at the highest levels. His lateral quickness is just average guarding small forwards, and his effort level can look problematic at times. He has a tendency to shy away from contact at times, leading some to question his passion and toughness.

Born in Serbia, but having spent most of his life in Canada, Jankovic has the choice of playing for either country at the international level, and has yet to make that decision at this point in time. If he continues to play as well as he did in New Haven, both countries are going to be very interested in his services.