University of Arkansas-Fort Smith men’s basketball coach Josh Newman added some defensive depth to his Lions roster for next season with the recent signing of forwards Dusan Stojanovic and Chukwukere Ekeh.
Stojanovic, a 6-foot-6 small forward from Lazarevac, Serbia, is the younger brother of current men’s basketball player Djordje Stojanovic. Dusan Stojanovic, who attended Sports High School in Belgrade, Serbia, averaged 15 points, five rebounds and five assists per game as a senior and 20 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior while playing for BC Torlak, a basketball club team.
“We are excited that Dusan has decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps and attend UA Fort Smith,” Newman said. “Dusan is a terrific passer, ball handler and driver for his size. Although he is a skilled offensive player, his defense is what excites us the most. His length and athleticism are sure to give opponents problems.”
Ekeh, a 6-9 power forward from Little Rock, Ark., missed the entire preseason this past year and spent most of his senior season battling a hip injury. Still, he averaged nine points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game for the Central Tigers.
He was twice named 7A Central Honorable-Mention All-Conference and led the conference in blocked shots as a junior and senior. He also received interest from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, the University of Denver and Princeton University.
Ekeh has received the UA Fort Smith Chancellor’s Leadership Council Scholarship and is the second men’s basketball player to receive this scholarship, joining current Lions sophomore guard Michael Pharis in receiving the scholarship.
“We are excited that Chukwukere has joined the Lions family. His gives us an added presence inside with his ability to rebound and block shots,” Newman said. “He is very skilled and athletic for his size as an incoming freshman. It will be exciting to see him grow and mature as a young man and a student-athlete.”
