BOULDER – Colorado, in reload mode after a record-setting season, added three graduate transfers to its 2024-25 men’s basketball roster with the signings of Trevor Baskin, Andrej Jakimovski and Elijah Malone, head coach Tad Boyle announced on Monday.
Baskin, a 6-foot, 9-inch forward from Arvada, Colo., averaged 18.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists as a senior at Colorado Mesa, earning Division II All-America honors from both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the D2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA). He led the Mavericks to a 29-5 record in 2023-24 as CMU won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title and advanced to the championship game of the NCAA South Central Regional.
“The first thing you look at when you see (Trevor) play is his diverse skill set,” Boyle said. “For a guy that’s 6-9 with a long wingspan, he can really shoot the ball, put it on the floor and he can pass and rebound. He can do a little bit of everything.”
Baskin was the 2023-24 RMAC Player of the Year and a First Team Academic All-American, scheduled to graduate this spring from Colorado Mesa with his degree in Business Administration and Finance.
A three-time All-RMAC First Team selection, and two-time all-region pick, Baskin averaged 13.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and shot 56.6 percent over four seasons at Colorado Mesa. He ranks fifth in school history with 1,656 career points and is sixth in rebounds (767) and second in blocks (145).
“When you lose a Tristan da Silva, who’s 6-9, with a great diverse skill set, and you’re able to pick up a guy like Trevor, it makes you feel better about Tristan’s loss. Trevor’s going to be able to impact the game in a lot of different ways, and the thing I like about him is he can play multiple positions offensively and guard multiple positions defensively. Anyone who has followed Colorado basketball knows it’s something that we value.”
Jakimovski, a 6-8 forward from Kriva Palanka, North Macedonia, comes to Colorado with some familiarity with the program after four seasons at Washington State. He averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds as a senior, helping the Cougars to a 25-10 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Jakimovski started all 35 games for the Cougars in 2023-24, ranking second on the team in rebounding, 3-point field goals (67) and steals (21).
“We lost the majority of our 3-point shooting this year, and so to be able to sign a guy that is a proven 3-point shooter at the highest level of college basketball is something we needed to replace. The thing I love about Andrej is his toughness and his ability to rebound both offensively and defensively.
Jakimovski averaged 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds over 120 career games at Washington State. He made 184 3-point field goals during his career, ranking ninth on the Cougars’ all-time list.
“I think our five-out system is really going to help Andrej expand his game offensively and show some other things he’s capable of doing, that he didn’t have a chance to at Washington State based on their personnel (primarily playing with two bigs). They had a heck of a team, finished second in the league, one spot ahead of the Buffaloes. I’ve got great respect for Andrej, and what he’s done in his career at Washington State and I think he can build on that has he comes to Colorado for a year.”
Malone, a 6-10 center from LaGrange, Ind., joins Colorado after a storied career at Grace College (Ind.). Malone was the recipient of the 2024 Bevo Francis Award, given to the nation’s best small college player, encompassing NCAA II, III, NAIA and junior colleges. He averaged 17.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 blocks as a senior, guiding Grace to a 34-2 record and the NAIA Fab Four (national semifinals).
“Elijah could have left Grace College after his sophomore or junior years and very easily gone to the Division I level,” Boyle said. “But the fact that he showed loyalty to his teammates and coaching staff that he signed with coming out of high school, that tells you everything you need to know about his character and kind of person he is. His value system and our value system are aligned very well.”
The 2023-24 NAIA Player of the Year, Malone shot 63 percent from the floor, 37 percent from 3-point range and 81 percent from the line. He was the Crossroads League Player of the Year and earned a spot on the NAIA All-Tournament Team.
“He wants to be able to prove himself at the highest level of college basketball and playing in the Big 12 is going to allow him the opportunity to do that,” Boyle said. “The way we play our style and the way he played at Grace College are very similar. So I feel really good about him in terms of what we lost and what we need for next year’s team. He fits the bill perfectly.”
A two-time All-American and three-time all-league pick, Malone averaged 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over 139 career games at Grace. He is the Lancers’ career leader in blocks (308) and field goal percentage (.653) and ranks ninth in both points (1,953) and rebounds (1,017).
“We all knew in terms of what we lost from last year’s team, we lost a lot of experience,” Boyle said. “To be able to replace them with these three that have experience and are battle tested and have size; that’s the big thing is we lost so much size on the perimeter and in the middle as well. With that, I think each one of these guys bring something a little bit different to the table and we’re excited about all three of them.”
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Story by Troy Andre, Associate Director/Athletic Communications for CUBuffs.com. Content courtesy of the University of Colorado at Boulder.