WISCONSIN — Lipscomb forward Jacob Ognacevic remembers growing up in Sheboygan and cheering for his home-state team as Wisconsin made back-to-back Final Four appearances in 2014 and 2015.

What You Need To Know

  • Lipscomb beat North Alabama 76-65 in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament championship game

  • Forward Jacob Ognacevic led Lipscomb to this point averaging 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds as the Atlantic Sun player of the year

  • He did not play last season due to a knee injury

"Sam Dekker was from my hometown and went to the high school I went to," Ognacevic recalled of the Badgers forward on those teams. "Just watching a hometown guy play on that stage was really cool to see."

A decade later, Ognacevic is getting his own taste of March Madness within driving distance of home. Lipscomb (25-9) is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018 and will face Iowa State (24-9) on Friday in Milwaukee.

Lipscomb, the No. 14 seed in the South Region, beat North Alabama 76-65 in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament championship game for its sixth consecutive victory. Ognacevic led Lipscomb to this point by averaging 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds as the Atlantic Sun player of the year.

It's quite a comeback for a guy who didn't play at all last season due to a bone bruise in his right knee. The 6-foot-8 senior forward returned better than ever, posting career highs in virtually every statistical category.

"I think I've become a better passer," Ognacevic said. "Two years ago, I didn't really get any assists or anything. Now I can pass out of double-teams. I'm shooting the 3 ball better this year. I would say, too, my post game has gotten better, attacking the hoop. I've gotten stronger since I last played two years ago."

Ognacevic spent one year at Valparaiso before entering the transfer portal in the midst of the pandemic, which prevented him from visiting any of the schools he was considering. Ognacevic was relying on Zoom sessions and phone calls with coaches as he made his decision.

He averaged 11.2 points primarily in a reserve role for Lipscomb in 2021-22 and had 17.7 points per game in 2022-23. Then he had to sit out a year. Now he's on college basketball's biggest stage.

"I think every kid dreams of playing in the NCAA Tournament," Ognacevic said. "Just being able to do that is going to be a dream come true."

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