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Wednesday, November 23, 2016
On a meandering journey from Serbia to Cape Girardeau, Milos Vranes and his eagerness to learn has never once ceased.
Vranes is a free spirit of sorts, a personality that's guided him to the United States from southeast Europe, stopping for two years in a rural North Dakota town before taking him to where he is now as a junior on the Southeast Missouri State men's basketball team.
The 6-foot-7 Vranes spoke very little English when he made the decision to depart from Belgrade, Serbia, to pursue a bachelor's degree and play basketball. His high school didn't offer the sport, so Vranes instead played for BC Partizan, a well-respected club organization based in Belgrade. He began receiving some interest from coaches in the U.S. but initially wanted to remain in Serbia.
Near the end of his high school days, Vranes became aware that it was going to be impossible to juggle obligations to both his club team and his work in the classroom.
It was March, and he was running out of time.
Southeast Missouri State's Milos Vranes
Laura Simon
So Vranes began calling coaches and asking them if roster spots were still available. Most were full, but a couple coaches pointed him in the direction of coach Stu Engen at North Dakota State College of Science.
"He offered me a scholarship," Vranes said. "I was so happy. I just signed it and came here, didn't know anything about North Dakota or the place I was going to. All I knew was there was cold weather there. I didn't really like it, but I wanted to play basketball and try to get a bachelor's degree so bad."
Upon first arriving in Wahpeton -- a small town of roughly 8,000 nestled in the corner of southeast North Dakota, bordering Breckenridge, Minnesota, along the Sioux River -- Vranes experienced a bit of a culture shock. There was a big difference from the more fast-paced atmosphere in Belgrade.
"Cars were just moving slow, and there wasn't many people walking around," Vranes said. "I kind of liked it. I found that the advantage of it was that I had a lot of time to play basketball and be good in school, so I really had a chance to be focused on those two. And that's what I did."
NDSCS is the second-oldest junior college and the oldest residential two-year college in the country, according to Engen.
"We've got a nice campus here, about 30 buildings on campus. ... Milos adapted very well right from the beginning," Engen said. "He's a people person. He was well liked. I think the campus and the community embraced him. He, in turn, represented us extremely well, too, just because he's a good kid, a good student. He was always very respectful and carried his business on and off the floor."
Milos Vranes of Southeast Missouri looks to pass during a game between SEMO and UT Rio Grande Valley Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2016 at the show me center in Cape Girardeau. Southeast won 83-72
ANDREW J. WHITAKER
Engen and former assistant coach, Jason Birr, played their biggest part in teaching the young Serbian how to communicate on the court. In the classroom, Vranes said he excelled in calculus but always slowed down when he encountered words. Although he still lacks confidence in his English, Vranes credits Engen and Birr for allowing him to overcome the language barrier and play at the Division I level.
"I really didn't have anybody who I was that close to, and I was with them all day," Vranes said. "My assistant coach, Jason Birr, he probably hates me a lot because I had thousands and thousands of questions that I was asking him every day -- 'What does this mean? How does this go?' It was just a big mess, but luckily I just went over it."
As a freshman in 2014-15, Vranes made 21 starts and averaged 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. His most memorable performance came that season in a five-overtime thriller against Williston State, a rival in the Mon-Dak Conference. Vranes finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds, providing crucial buckets down the stretch in the Wildcats' 127-122 victory.
"In three of those overtimes, Milos hit some clutch shots to get us into the next overtime, so he was a key performer," Engen said. "He was kind of a clutch type of guy for us. The moment was never too big for him, and he came up with some big plays, whether it was an offensive rebound or a big 3."
NDSCS finished the season with a 26-7 record and followed it up with an even better campaign in 2015-16. Vranes started 13 times and appeared in all 35 games as a sophomore, averaging 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per contest. The Wildcats won conference, regional and district titles en route to a 28-7 record and an appearance in the NJCAA Division I Men's National Basketball Championships, which took place in Hutchinson, Kansas.
It was there that Vranes was spotted by Southeast coach Rick Ray, who extended a scholarship offer. Upon visiting the campus, Vranes thought the program was a good fit and decided to accept Ray's offer.
"Coach Rick Ray's philosophy was that I can stretch the floor," Vranes said. "I can shoot, which would give SEMO more shooting ability and would give other players more opportunities to drive."
Vranes is one of four players on the Redhawks' roster standing at 6-7 or taller. Ray has utilized him in more of a tweener role, primarily matching him up as a small forward and a power forward. Vranes has yet to make a start for Southeast but has appeared in all five games. He's third on the team with 9.0 ppg and 4.4 rpg and is shooting 50 percent (7 of 14) from 3-point range, averaging 20.6 minutes per contest.
Ray said he's never wavered in believing Vranes has the ability to contribute offensively, but the coach has challenged him to assert himself more on the defensive end.
Southeast Missouri State's Milos Vranes defends Hannibal-LaGrange's Tim Pace during the first half Sunday, Nov. 13, 2016, at the Show Me Center.
Trent Singer
"I told him, 'Your worth is going to be measured by what you do on the defensive end in regards to rebounding and defending,'" Ray said. "He's really done an unbelievable job here because we have William Tchiengang who's been out because of NCAA amateurism issues. Joel Angus is out because of injuries. Then on top of that, Trey [Kellum] is a guy who's been battling some foul trouble, so [Vranes] has been asked to not only play the 4-spot, but he's played the 5-spot for us, too.
"He's done a really good job for us as far as embracing that role and not being a guy who pouts about where he is."
Like most kids in Serbia who take part in athletics at a young age, Vranes started off playing soccer before focusing on basketball around the age of 8 or 9.
His favorite Serbian player is Sasha Djordjevic, who hit an iconic, game-winning 3-pointer in the 1991-92 FIBA European League Championship to send Parizan past Joventut Badalona, 71-70. Djordjevic is now the coach of the Serbian national team.
"It was the last second, and that was probably the biggest game that anybody from Serbia will remember," Vranes said. "He also used to be the one who was a team leader. Everybody would listen to him. Everybody would look up to him.
"I just like watching him on the court. He made basketball look fun."
Vranes had the chance to visit home for several weeks during the summer, but his time was cut short by having to attend summer workouts with the Redhawks. Even while he was home, he said he couldn't resist playing some basketball with his younger brother.
The 21-year-old said he prefers the green grass and hills and the more temperate climate of Cape Girardeau over the flatlands and cold weather of North Dakota. He misses his family and friends back home but said he's grateful for the coaches who have given him a chance to prove himself.
"I'm really thankful for this opportunity," Vranes said. "As the season goes on, we're going to see how we do this year, but so far, I'm really thankful for not only coach Rick Ray but all the coaches that are taking care of me and helping me as much as they can."
Vranes isn't sure where he wants basketball to take him but wants to play for as long as he can. His plan is to stay prepared for anything and to constantly grow as both a student and a teammate.
It's a mindset that guides him on this journey across the Atlantic Ocean away from everything and everyone he's knows. It teaches him to never settle.
"Excelling is important to him," Ray said. "Guys that do well in the classroom tend to do well in life. He wants to get A's in his classes. He wants to get 100 percent on his tests. The way he is in the classroom is the same way he is outside of the classroom. He's trying to excel.
"He just wants to do the right thing, and so he's really done that for us off the court by being a really good student. But it's carried over to on the court, too, because he just wants to win and do the right thing."
