Serbia Defeated Belgium to Finish Third.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – A former Northeast-10 Conference student-athlete earned a bronze medal in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Wednesday.
Mihailo Vasic, a 2018 graduate of New Haven, helped his home country of Serbia capture a third-place finish in the introduction year of 3x3 Basketball to the Summer Olympics. Vasic scored five points in the 21-10 victory over Belgium in the Bronze Medal Game.
Vasic played two seasons at New Haven from 2016-18 before bursting onto the international 3x3 Basketball scene. He has been playing for several years for the Liman in Serbia – which is considered the world number one in 3x3 Basketball. Individually, Vasic (Novi Sad, Serbia) has been ranked as high as No. 3 in the world.
The newly-added Olympic sport features six players on half of a regulation basketball court and intends to provide an exciting basketball alternative. It is governed by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the organization announced on June 9, 2017, that 3x3 Basketball would make its debut at the Tokyo Games in 2020.
Vasic averaged 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in two seasons with the Chargers, while also setting an individual season record by shooting 61.5-percent (126-of-205) from the field during the 2016-17 campaign.
Following the Olympics, Vasic and his Liman team is scheduled to play in the World Tour Lausanne Masters in Switzerland on August 20-21. Serbia is seeded first in the 14-team field.
2⃣0⃣1⃣2⃣ ➡ #Tokyo2020 ����
— FIBA3x3 ➡️ #3x3 #Tokyo2020 (@FIBA3x3) July 29, 2021
From the first-ever #3x3 World Cup to the first-ever #OlympicGames podium @MrBullutproof pic.twitter.com/Hr5WIYMhZo
Bravo momci, dobro Vam stoje olimpijske medalje!
— Team Serbia (@OKSrbije) July 28, 2021
Navikavajte se polako! ������❤️#Olympics • #Srb • #3x3 pic.twitter.com/JTTuoSlzeX
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
