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Sarah Ritter

Leathernecks introduce five new players

| By: WIU Athletic Communications

WIU men's basketball make key additions

Western Illinois men's basketball coach Rob Jeter and the Leatherneck program announced the addition of five new players for the upcoming 2022-23 season on Monday.
The additions feature a variety of experience, size and strengths, giving the Leatherneck lineup a major boost.
WIU is coming off a 16-16 regular season and a postseason appearance in The Basketball Tournament.
 
JJ Kalakon | Junior | Triton College | 6-5
JJ Kalakon, of Louisville, Kentucky, joins the Leathernecks after a season at Triton Junior College.
Kalakon averaged 8.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Trojans during the 2021-22 season, including a season-high 29 points against Daley College on February 24.
Kalakon was also a key contributor to a Triton team that advanced to the NJCAA Division I Final Four.
As a freshman, Kalakon played at Olney College, suiting up for 20 games.
At Olney, Kalakon averaged 9.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
 
Vuk Stevanic | Graduate Senior | St. Francis | 6-8
Stevanic, of Jagodina, Serbia, transfers to Western Illinois after graduating from St. Francis in Brooklyn, New York.
Stevanic is a familiar face to WIU coaches, having played for Leatherneck assistants Chad Boudreau and Kyle Heikkinen at Highland College in Freeport, Illinois.
Stevanic averaged 1.0 points per game last season and 6.3 per game in the 2020-21 season.
 
Alec Rosner | Senior | Winona State | 6-3
Rosner, a guard, joins Western as a senior, transferring from Winona State.
Last season, Rosner, a native of Appleton, Wisconsin, averaged 18.8 points per game, including a season-high of 36 points against Mary on January 28.
Rosner also averaged 4.3 rebounds per game while starting 26 games.
Rosner was named CoSIDA All-Region as well as NSIC All-Academic twice.
 
Dirin Birhiray | Freshman | Brebeuf Jesuit High School, Indianapolis, IN | 6-2
Birhiray joins WIU as a freshman after playing his high school ball at Brebeuf Jesuit High School in Indianapolis.
The 6-4 guard averaged 5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for a team that went 19-8 overall last season.
 
Jake Fisher | Freshman | Oconomowoc, WI | 6-3
Fisher joins Western Illinois as a walk-on.
The 6-3 guard scored over 1,000 career points, prepping at Oconomowoc.
 
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