Jacob Ognacevic is having the best season of his career. Named ASUN Player of the Year and the league’s leading scorer, the senior forward has propelled Lipscomb to its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. But his rise to stardom in Nashville wasn’t immediate or easy.
Ognacevic’s journey wasn’t without its challenges — fighting for playing time, battling through a season-long injury and constantly refining his game. But through it all, he kept working, emerging as one of the top scorers in the country.
“To go out there like that and win a championship on our home floor, it just meant everything,” Ognacevic said. “After coming back from a year off and winning it all, it was a lot too. It was a really special moment for me and my team.”
This season, Ognacevic is posting a career-high 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game in 34 contests. He ranks 17th nationally in scoring, with his total of 683 points placing him fourth in the country.
Ognacevic has always had a knack for scoring, though early in his career, he didn’t always receive the recognition he deserved.
As a high school junior, Ognacevic led Sheboygan Lutheran to a state title, averaging 30.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game while shooting 69% from the field. His performance earned him offers from Michigan Tech (Division II), Milwaukee, Green Bay, UC Davis, Valparaiso and Indiana State. He only took an official visit to Valparaiso, committing to the program in August 2019.
In his senior season, Ognacevic was poised to lead Sheboygan Lutheran to another state title in 2020. The team posted a 25-1 record before the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely ended the season. He led Wisconsin in scoring with 39.4 points per game and finished his prep career with 2,501 points, which at the time ranked sixth in state history.
“I don’t really think I was a high-major player,” he said. “I just wasn’t ready. In high school, I still had some physical maturing to do. I looked like a kid and needed to add muscle. Once I hit college, I started hitting my stride and improving every single year.”
Ognacevic played in all 28 games during his freshman season at Valparaiso before transferring to Lipscomb in the offseason. His first three years with the Bisons consisted of success and adversity. As a sophomore in 2021-22, Ognacevic averaged 11.2 points per game, but his role diminished toward the end of the season, as he played 11 minutes or fewer in the final seven games.
He made a noticeable leap as a junior, starting most games and finishing third in the conference with 17.6 points per game. Expectations were high heading into his senior season, but a knee injury sidelined him for the entire year. Ognacevic had the option to enter the transfer portal for his final season, but he chose to remain loyal to Lipscomb and finish what he had started.
“There have been some struggles here, which just made Sunday’s championship win a lot more emotional,” Ognacevic said. “It was all worth it in the end.”
Ognacevic is the centerpiece of a veteran-laden Lipscomb team, where the top four scorers are all seniors. Their experience translates into a calm, confident style of play. The Bisons are a well-rounded squad, averaging 79.3 points per game (51st in the nation) while holding opponents to 67.3 points (52nd in the nation).
Offensively, they rely on the 3-point shot, making 9.9 3s per game (29th nationally). Defensively, they limit opponents to 30.8% from beyond the arc (35th in the nation).
This is Lipscomb’s second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, and the Bisons believe their experience will allow them to surprise teams and make a run in the tournament.
“Our next game, we aren’t going to be the favorite, so we have nothing to lose,” Ognacevic said. “Everyone knows that in our program, which makes us dangerous. We’re going to go out there firing, not be afraid and play really loose. We have really good shooting and experienced guys, so we definitely think we can get the upset. We will be ready to go.”
