Colorado Basketball: Why Andrej Jakimovski is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Things transpired pretty successfully at Colorado last season, with the Buffaloes winning 26 games, claiming 3rd place in the Pac-12, and winning a pair of NCAA Tournament games. Tad Boyle’s talented squad ousted Boise State in the First Four, survived a shootout against Florida, and came up just short of upsetting Marquette in the second round. As fortunate and successful as last season was, there’s a lot new in this upcoming year in Boulder.

First and foremost, the Buffaloes return to the Big 12, joining a much stronger basketball conference. What certainly makes matters worse is how little of last season’s talent will be along for that ride. Star scorers KJ Simpson and Tristan Da Silva are both gone while significant pieces like Eddie Lampkin and Luke O’Brien transferred in the offseason. In all, the top six scorers from last season are gone, with Julian Hammond III the only returner who averaged more than 2 points a game.

Things will be plenty different this season and it won’t be a surprise if Colorado takes a slight step back. However, Boyle and company weren’t just sitting on their hands and have a surplus of talent new to town. The biggest splash came on the recruiting trail with a solid squad of first-year players, though that’s not specifically today’s focus. Two major transfers joined the Buffaloes, with one being Colorado Mesa forward Trevor Baskin.

The other transfer is our focus today, with Colorado’s attention turned towards Andrej Jakimovski. A 6’8 forward originally from North Macedonia, Jakimovski spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career in the frontcourt at Washington State. He started 80 games across those four years, growing into a primary role for a Cougars program that really peaked last season.

Jakimovski averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, making a decent clip from outside the arc. He was an above average rebounder in the Pac-12 last season and should be an important piece on the boards for the Buffaloes this year. He’s not the type of player that scores 20 a night, especially with shooting percentages that don’t exactly stand out, but Jakimovski can affect the game across the court.

Colorado’s lineup just got significantly younger, with Jakimovski one of the few upperclassmen in the rotation. His veteran experience will be crucial for the Buffaloes, especially with a swell of frontcourt talent learning and growing around him. Colorado will be happy if he can play efficient basketball and work on improving that defensive game just a little bit. If they can get a few long-range shots and some great rebounding numbers, then the Buffaloes should be pleased.

Unfortunately, Jakimovski is just one piece, and the Buffaloes are likely to struggle in year one of their new conference. There’s plenty of hope on the horizon if these young players stay in Boulder and develop, but it’s hard to see a path to the NCAA Tournament. Could this Colorado squad surprise us in the year to come? Does Jakimovski take a measured step forward in new surroundings in his final collegiate campaign?