Former WSU wing Andrej Jakimovski announces he’s transferring to Colorado

PULLMAN – Andrej Jakimovski has played his final game in the crimson laundry.

The former Washington State wing shared as much on social media Sunday, announcing he’s committing to Big 12-bound Colorado, bringing his four-year WSU tenure to an end.

A native of North Macedonia, the 6-foot-8 Jakimovski will be a grad transfer, using his final year of eligibility – his COVID year – to play for the Buffaloes. He entered the transfer portal in late March, shortly after former coach Kyle Smith left for the head coaching gig at Stanford.

Jakimovski, a class of 2020 player, spent four years at WSU, averaging 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds as a senior. Last season, he started all 35 games for the Cougs, helping them reach their first NCAA Tournament in 16 years, dispatching Drake before falling to Iowa State in the second round.

In Jakimovski, WSU is losing one of its better defenders and a reliable shooter. He shot 33% on 3-pointers last season, his lowest mark since his freshman season, but some of those misses attributed to a shoulder injury he sustained late in the regular season, which bothered him throughout the rest of the year.

Jakimovski, one of 10 Cougars to enter the portal this offseason, is the sixth to find a new home. The list also includes star guard Myles Rice (Indiana), centers Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State) and Rueben Chinyelu (Florida) and guards Jabe Mullins (Montana State) and Dylan Darling (Idaho State).

That leaves five former Cougs still in the portal: Walk-on center AJ LeBeau, forward AJ Rohosy, forward Spencer Mahoney, wing Kymany Houinsou and guard Joseph Yesufu.

New coach David Riley has plugged some of those holes with the additions of two players from his former squad, Eastern Washington: Forward Ethan Price and wing LeJuan Watts.