BROOKLYN, N.Y. — After a season at Laramie County, a community college in Cheyenne, Wyo.,
Marko Maletic looked for a new home after spending the 2021-22 season rehabbing a knee injury.
Maletic joined the LIU men's basketball team after two stops at the junior college level.
Prior to Laramie, the 6'6" guard played at Fanshawe College, another junior college, in his hometown.
"I think the level of seriousness is one of the biggest changes about JUCO to DI," Maletic said. "Coming from a JUCO, you might not find guys who are willing to put in work outside of practice hours, as well as the coaching staff. Everything is built around the task in front of us."
Through 15 games, the sophomore guard has put together quite the game log. He is averaging 17.8 points per game, which ranks first on the team and second in the Northeast Conference.
What's most impressive is his go-to skill: the three-pointer.
Maletic is first in the NEC in three pointers per game (3.3), a mark that is also good for 12
th in the country.
He knew from a young age that his deep ball was his biggest strength.
"Honestly, even as a kid on AAU teams and playing with my brother and his friends, I always noticed I could shoot the ball better than everyone else," Maletic said. "I picked up on it during high school because I knew I could make something of it."
At FDU on Saturday, Maletic drained eight threes and set a career high. He finished with 29 points.
"In my mind, I always feel like I'm in the zone," he said. "That comes from the work, as well as my confidence. Regardless of if I made six in a row or missed six, I'm going to shoot the same way. You must have short-term memory as a shooter."
The Canadian guard claims there isn't anything special about his routine. His main key is repetition and focus.
"I just try to have fun," Maletic said. "Then, I work myself into our team workout and go from there."
Maletic has scored double figures in all but one game this season. He'll look to continue his high-scoring ways on Saturday at Saint Francis U.
