Boys basketball: Rolling Meadows senior Miletic commits to Marquette
Ian Miletic, a 6-foot-7 senior at Rolling Meadows, is continuing the Mustangs’ recent stretch of producing high major Division I basketball players.
Miletic announced Wednesday on social media that he will play college basketball at Marquette.
A starter since his freshman year, Miletic played his first two seasons with another Division I player, Cam Christie (Minnesota), for coach Kevin Katovich.
The year before that, Max Christie graduated from Rolling Meadows and went on to play at Michigan State.
“Definitely great to carry on that legacy we have,” Miletic said. “I've been fortunate to play with great players and learn from them.”
“We're incredibly lucky, but what makes it so special is the kids and their families are tremendous,” Katovich said. “The Christies, the Miletics, they support our program, at our booster events, they are tremendous families and you can see why their kids are so amazing when you meet their parents.”
Miletic took an official visit to Marquette from June 4-6 and made his decision shortly after.
“I really enjoyed the time with the coaching staff and players and had a great time getting to know everyone,” Miletic said. “They took really good care of us, and after that I came to the conclusion, do I really need to see other schools, or is Marquette my home? I kind of reflected on it and (decided) I will not find a better opportunity than Marquette. It’s got everything I need to grow into the player I want to be.”
The Milwaukee campus is also a plus, especially for Miletic’s parents, Don and Karrie. Ian has one sibling, sister Katrina, a junior at Purdue.
“There were other opportunities I received as well, Illinois, DePaul, Northwestern was talking to me a lot this last month or so,” Miletic said. “But Marquette was showing me the most love. I really got to know coach (Shaka) Smart as a person and a coach which means a lot.”
Katovich is quite excited about his latest Division I recruit, a left-handed forward with a sweet 3-point shot.
Miletic hit 45% from beyond the arc this season while averaging 22 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
“He's such a selfless player,” said Katovich, pointing to a recent summer league game when Miletic took two charges. “He rebounds, he passes the ball, he shoots. He is just a great team player and he wants to win. We've obviously had a lot of great players and a lot of great leaders come through our school and he's right up there with those guys.”
Marquette made Miletic a priority, with Smart coming to a game in January just part of their push.
“They were very active from the beginning,” Katovich said. “What is so special about Marquette is they had nobody enter the transfer portal. They really invest in their kids. They took the time to get to know Ian and his family.
“Some schools just offer a kid. Marquette really recruited him.”
Katovich expects Marquette and Miletic to be a perfect match.
“I'm so happy for Ian. He's just a great kid. He has really earned this opportunity and I'm so excited for him,” Katovich said. "And I'm also incredibly happy for Marquette because they are getting an outstanding kid. It's really a perfect fit for what Marquette was looking for and what Ian and his family were looking for.”
Miletic, who is thinking about majoring in business with a minor in psychology, said the Golden Eagles coaching staff sees him as a wing at the college level.
“We talked about my shooting capabilities and making an impact on that side but what I talked to coach Smart about is what I need to improve upon to get myself in position to play as a freshman,” Miletic said. “That’s what I’m focused on is taking care of those little things to get better each day.”