Former Longwood men’s basketball forward Ilija Stefanovic signed a professional contract with ACS Lumina in the Romanian Liga 1, becoming the second player in three seasons under head coach Griff Aldrich to advance to the professional ranks.
A 6’10”, 215-pound forward from Novi Sad, Serbia, Stefanovic played two years at Longwood and was part of Aldrich’s second recruiting class in 2019. As a senior in 2020-21, he emerged as a key reserve in the frontcourt rotation, appearing in 17 games with one start to help the Lancers win a school-record 10 Big South games and advance to the College Basketball Invitational for the second time in the past three years.
Prior to his two seasons as a Lancer, Stefanovic was a key starter at Eastern Florida where he helped the NJCAA powerhouse to a 28-8 record and a trip to the NJCAA National Championship quarterfinals. He also played his freshman season at Southeastern University.
As a senior at Longwood, Stefanovic was also the recipient of the Longwood athletics department’s Academic PRIDE Award, which is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete who have demonstrated tremendous work ethic toward their academic pursuits. He graduated in May of 2021 with a degree in business administration and a concnetration in finance.
In signing a professional contract, Stefanovic joins former Longwood teammate Sean Flood as the first two Lancers under Aldrich to play professionally. Flood, a former Irish National Team MVP prior to his time at Longwood, spent the 2020-21 season with the Karlsruhe club in the Germany-ProB League.
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Chris Graham
