Washington State Basketball

Macedonian guard Andrej Jakimovski, considered one of the top international prospects who is playing college basketball, announced his intention to play at Washington State. 

"Since I was a kid, my dream was to play basketball in the U.S., the country that has the best basketball players and coaches," Jakimovski told ESPN's Jonathan Givony on Sunday. "I believe that Washington State will help me achieve my childhood dream of becoming a great basketball player. They're offering me the opportunity to build myself as a person, athlete and student."

Jakimovski led the FIBA U18 European Championship B in scoring at 18.4 points per game and made his debut with the Macedonian national team in February. Washington State has focused heavily on international talent in his 2020 recruiting class, with Jakimovski joining Efe Abogidi (Nigeria), Jefferson Koulibaly (Canada) and Carlos Rosario (Dominican Republic).

Jakimovski said he turned down professional offers in Europe because he wanted to experience college basketball in the United States.

"It was a wonderful experience playing for Basket Torino," Jakimovski said. "I had offers from other Italian and European teams, but I truly believe that the best option for me is to join the Cougs. I also had offers from other universities, but I knew from the beginning that WSU was the right choice for me. I am determined to work harder than ever and help my new team reach new heights."

Washington State went 16-16 in Kyle Smith's first season with the program. The Cougars have not reached the NCAA tournament since 2008.

DJ Rodman, the son of Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman, has committed to play basketball for the Washington State Cougars.

"DJ is a shotmaker who has a really good feel for the game," Washington State coach Kyle Smith said in a statement on the team's official website. "He was a very productive player displaying the ability to score and rebound at a high clip in one of the best high school leagues in California, the Trinity League."

Rodman will join the Cougars for the 2019-20 season.

The 6'4", 190-pound small forward is not rated by 247Sports. Following the commitment, Washington State now has the No. 81 recruiting class for 2019, according to 247Sports. The class features a trio of 3-star recruits, two of whom have already signed.

Rodman averaged 24.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game at JSerra Catholic (Orange County, California) High School as a senior.

"The thing I loved most was that he was our leading charge taker on top of leading scorer and rebounder," JSerra coach Keith Wilkinson said last month, per Tim Burt of the OC Sports Zone. "The kid is a winner and he exemplified that in the North OC Classic hitting a walk off three-pointer on the baseline out of bounds for the championship. ... He took and made big time shots, but also did all the little things it takes to win."

Per Burt, Rodman was also considering the likes of Hawaii, Northern Arizona and Grand Canyon before committing to Washington State.

"He has family roots in the state of Washington and is thrilled to be a Coug," Smith added in his statement.

The Cougars are coming off an 11-21 season and are in the midst of an 11-year NCAA tournament drought. Smith was hired to replace Ernie Kent as head coach in March.