Sheboygan High School Star Turned Conferences Player of the Year on March Madness

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Photo via Lipscomb Sports - lipscombsports.com

Jacob Ognacevic

Jacob Ognacevic (right) playing for Lipsomb University against Belmont University

When the Lipscomb Bisons men’s basketball team takes the floor at Fiserv Forum against Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament, the 2024-25 Atlantic Sun Conference Champions will be led by one of the best high school basketball players in Wisconsin history. 

Jacob Ognacevic scored the sixth-most points in WIAA history at Sheboygan Lutheran High School, overtaking the program record set by former NBA first-round draft pick Sam Dekker. He led the school to one state championship and was on his way to another before COVID-19 ended his senior season.

Five years later, Ognacevic is the Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, averaging 20.7 PPG (17th-best in Division I). He shot 57.3% from the field and 40.2% from beyond the arc, reaching the 30-point plateau five times.

For the 6-8 forward, returning to his home state for a March Madness game is another highlight in a great career. “It's awesome that we're coming back here,” Ognacevic told the Shepherd Express. “I haven't played a college game in Wisconsin. Being able to go back home and not only play a college game here, but a March Madness game. It's cool.”

The fifth-year senior has long recognized the connection to Sheboygan great Sam Dekker, and he hopes to build on the legacy of his hometown hero.

“I remember the Wisconsin teams they had; watching them play was awesome. They beat the Kentucky team that was undefeated. That was a great memory, and I love that Badger team.”

“It’s cool, too, because he's from our hometown. We have a town of 50,000 people. To have a guy like that do what he did is super rare and should be celebrated.”

Ognacevic embodies the role of small-town hero. Sheboygan Lutheran is a WIAA Division 5 program, the tier of WIAA sports that includes the smallest schools. Lipscomb has the ninth-lowest enrollment (about 4,800 students) among schools in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

“Our high school, we’re a tight-knit community,” Ognacevic said. He adds that Sheboygan Lutheran plays in the state quarterfinals the morning of Lipscomb’s tourney game. “We both follow each other, and I’m super excited for them. They play at 10:30. I hope they can win, and then we can follow it up by winning at 12:30.”

After graduating from Sheboygan Lutheran, Ognacevic started his college career at Valparaiso. But following an unsteady freshman season, he entered the transfer portal. Due to COVID restrictions, the big man had to conduct his college visits remotely.

“That was a unique time. I couldn't visit anywhere because they still had the COVID restrictions. All my visits were on Zoom, so I never got to Lipscomb until I committed there. I liked what the coaches had to say, and I liked Nashville as a whole. I've never been that far away from home, so I thought it would be a good challenge and I would grow there. I'm happy with the decision that I've made.”

Ognacevic grew from a role player into a First Team All-ASUN honoree in 2022-23. Then came a season-ending injury last season.

When Ognacevic returned to the hardwood, it was apparent he had raised his game to a new level. In his first college basketball game in 18 months, the Sheboygan native dropped 30 points on 8-12 shooting in a road win over Duquesne. The game sparked a special season for Ognacevic, which culminated in conference player of the year honors and an NCAA Tournament bid as a #14 seed.

He attributes his confidence and optimism as the keys to fueling his fantastic senior season. “I remember when I was hurt. It sucked that I wasn't playing, but at the end of the day, I don't have any life-threatening disease. I just missed my basketball season.”

“There's a lot worse things that can happen, so I had to take that perspective, and that's exactly what I did. I also had confidence that I would be able to bounce back. I was lucky enough to be healthy once the season ended, and I was able to slowly build back up and then just grinding like I do every off-season.”

Lipscomb head coach Lennie Acuff also points to Ognacevic’s loyalty as one of the forward’s top qualities.

“Loyalty is a two-way street,” Acuff said. “When he got hurt, we didn’t push him to come back. We met right after the season. He had two years left. We didn’t want to put pressure on him to come back. He said, ‘No, Coach, I want to come back and win a championship.’ When you do that, you’re stepping out to the front of the line. You’re saying, ‘Not only am I going to run the marathon, I’m going to win it.’ ”

Lipscomb's next game is against #3 seed Iowa State — a top-15 team in the country. Ognacevic credits formidable non-conference games against Kentucky and Arkansas as ideal preparation for a Big 12 opponent like the Cyclones.

“If you look at Arkansas and Kentucky, they're similar to Iowa State with their size and physicality. Arkansas was our second game, and then Kentucky. Now it's March; we've gotten a lot better. We were down to Arkansas by four at the four-minute mark, and we played them at their place. We know that we can hang with high-major teams.”

Ognacevic averaged 16.5 PPG and seven rebounds in those two contests. He knows that Iowa State will be a stiff test for the Bisons.

“They're going to attack our team as a whole. This is March Madness; win or go home. You see it every year; upsets happen. I know that they're going to come ready. We have to be ready for it and match their intensity.”