Creighton basketball center Aleksa Dimitrijevic is adjusting to life in the United States after leaving his home country to join the Bluejays in 2025.
The 7-foot, 220-pound freshman hails from Belgrade, Serbia, where life was very different from what he’s found in Omaha.
“It’s more crowds in the city I would say, and there were a lot more people for the same size of Omaha,” Dimitrijevic told Hurrdat Sports. “Growing up, I spent a lot of time with my grandma and my younger brother, because my mom worked a lot during that time. So, I spent a lot of time at my grandma’s house.”
Dimitrijevic said the lifestyle change has been the biggest adjustment, with a more regulated and busier schedule.
Now standing 7 feet tall, basketball seems like a natural fit. However, his athletics journey began on a soccer pitch, and he still lists Cristiano Ronaldo as his sports hero. However, his life took a dramatic turn when he was 11.
“First, I played soccer, like for a year,” Dimitrijevic said. “After some match, my mom and dad didn’t like the coach and took me to basketball practice. After that, I just fell in love with the game.”
Dimitrijevic went on to play for the Serbian U18/U19 National team, helping his country earn a silver medal at the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket competition while averaging 10.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in seven games. He also played for Serbia at the U19 World Cup this summer and spent a few years with KK Partizan, a pro club in his hometown.
Dimitrijevic was a late addition to Creighton’s recruiting class, committing in April, though it was his mom, Marija, who set him on the path to the U.S. and college basketball.
“My mom actually talked to one of the coaches during the European championship last year,” Dimitrijevic said. “It was summer 2024. We played in Finland, and I played club tournament pretty good, and that’s how coaches saw me …
“After that, it was just like back and forth. I talked to Coach Mac a few times on Zoom. We texted a lot, and then I came out for a visit in the beginning of March.”
Relocating to a place like Omaha was never a consideration for Dimitrijevic as he continued to develop as a player — until it happened.
“Before that European championship last year, I never thought about me coming to the U.S., playing for college,” Dimitrijevic said. “I thought about NBA the next few years. A few months after that, and after those conversations I had with coaches, I just liked it. After the visit, I was like, I already decided.”
Dimitrijevic didn’t arrive until mid-August, and he suffered a broken nose that set back his practice participation even further. He’s worked to play catch up since and made his Creighton debut late in the team’s exhibition win against No. 16 Iowa State, recording a block and a rebound in less than two minutes on the court to show how he can contribute to the team.
“I would say I’m pretty tall,” Dimitrijevic said. “I can help on defense a lot. I can stretch the floor; still working on that outside game. Right now, I’m trying to get as close as perfect in some basic stuff, like in the post and those close-to-the-basket shots.”
Dimitrijevic, fellow newcomer Kerem Konan and walk-on Josh Townley-Thomas have held down the center spot in practice this fall while expected starter Owen Freeman has worked his way back from offseason knee surgery. With Freeman expected back for the start of the season, playing time could be scarce for the Serbian freshman, but he’s focused on helping the team however he can.
“I’m just trying to do all the things Coach asks for,” Dimitrijevic said. “Whatever he asks I’m trying to do. So I’m trying to play defense, to stay solid with the guards, fight through the bigs. I need to get as many rebounds as possible, to fight on defense to get some minutes to show I’m capable of playing on this level.”
