Miami Ohio University Athletics
Road to Being a RedHawk: The Milos Jovic and Precious Ayah Stories
12/3/2020 2:44:00 PM | Men's Basketball
by Jason Meggyesy for MiamiRedHawks.com
For many, growing up and living in America is something they do not think about often. The shining lights of New York City do not always seem as bright for a native. The casual slang that is tossed around in conversation seems normal (well, maybe after a definition is first given). The food, the language, and the culture are all aspects of the United States that, quite frankly, have always been there for most; however good, bad, or ugly they can be sometimes.
For teammates Milos Jovic of Serbia and Precious Ayah of Nigeria, however, America was a destination unlike one they had been to before; a destination in which they could fulfill their dreams and take advantage of new opportunities.
Growing up in Serbia, Milos Jovic was surrounded by basketball from an early age. "I remember looking at a photo from when I was two or three years old and I was holding a basketball in my hands, ready to go," Jovic recalled.
Jovic's father, Zoran, coached professionally for more than 30 years and had a large impact on his son's early love for the game, often bringing his young son to practice with him. Jovic also spent countless nights staying up watching NBA and NCAA basketball, all the while developing a plan for himself to make it to America.
"I just wanted to compete at the highest level and see where I was at."
The Serbian product said that basketball was a game that came easy to him, and he viewed it as his potential opportunity for more.
This childhood experience is a stark contrast from Jovic's Nigerian counterpart's upbringing.
Precious Ayah says that he grew up playing all different kinds of sports, but found himself most fond of soccer. With a heavy emphasis on community in his hometown, Ayah and the kids in his surrounding area would use whatever they could find to play all different types of games.
It was only after he discovered that basketball could lead him to a way to America and the possibility of furthering his education that he made the switch.
"One of my teachers recommended I compete in this statewide competition because I was the tallest in the school at the time," Ayah recalled. "When I found out there was a chance to go overseas, I gave it my best shot."
As each grew older, basketball helped created a myriad of new opportunities and experiences.
At the age of 16, Jovic moved by himself to the Czech Republic to attend Get Better Academy, a top-tier preparatory school known for elevating players' skills. He recalls the transition being hard initially. After settling down and focusing on his goals, the experience yielded countless benefits. While averaging 16 points and four assists in his final season, Jovic helped lead GBA to its first Czech national championship and was named to the tournament all-star team.
As his successful preparatory career came to a close, Jovic had his sights locked on his big goal: get to America.
At the same time, Jovic was making his own transitions in life, Ayah found himself in a new and unfamiliar situation as well.
Ayah's innate athleticism only got him so far as he was forced to learn basketball from its very basic elements if he wanted to see any success with the game.
"My first three months of basketball, my coach made us dribble in one spot for almost two hours at a time some days," Ayah recounted.
While his skills improved, the Nigerian native was offered a scholarship to attend Greenforest Academy in Decatur, Georgia. With one suitcase packed full of clothes, Ayah found himself at the Nigerian Embassy, obtained his visa, and left straight for America.
After touching down in Georgia, Ayah dealt with lingering feelings of anxiety and homesickness during his first few weeks. "It felt like I was starting all over again. I had no friends around, little money. It was a challenge."
Initially surviving primarily off of McDonald's as his source of nutrition, Ayah slowly became accustomed to American culture. He began to settle in with his role on the Greenforest basketball team and saw success in the classroom. By the end of his high school career, Ayah was a four-year letter winner, a two-time state champion, and salutatorian of his graduating class.
With excellent resumes, each player had a plethora of schools jostling for a chance to bring them into their programs. Jovic turned down a chance to play professionally in Serbia as well as offers from schools like Hawaii and Seton Hall. Instead, he chose to move to Oxford, Ohio, and attend Miami University. Ayah followed a similar path, turning down offers from schools like Winthrop, Yale, and Brown in favor of becoming a RedHawk.
While the excitement built up around teaming up in Oxford, both players faced difficulty in their first season with the RedHawks.
Jovic, now having relocated 4,000 miles away from home, was finding himself struggling to adapt to his new lifestyle. When talking about his first few months in the states, Jovic recalled the transition being very difficult. "It took me a good six to seven months to get adjusted," the Serbian ballplayer said. "I felt like I was going crazy. I didn't know if I was made for this."
All of that switched, however, when Jovic found his role on the team and began to realize what exactly he came here for. "There are some differences between the Serbian style of basketball and the American style, but, at the end of the day, it's just basketball."
This mindset helped Jovic through his freshman year and to continue to stick with his dream.
For Ayah, his freshman year was a bit different. The Nigerian native, who had been in the states for some time now, was poised and ready for the start of the season. He was playing well and all signs pointed to a solid season. Then, all of that changed when the Miami big man sustained a knee injury just two weeks before the first game.
While this did set Ayah back from achieving his first-year aspirations, he did find a way to discover some good from his injury. "Basketball is a game that will move on with or without you. (The injury) taught me to value every position you are in at any time and give it your all."
After some hardship faced throughout their first seasons, both athletes discovered the value of resilience and mental toughness, which eventually facilitated a strong bond between the two international players.
"Our bond is growing stronger every day," Jovic said when asked about Ayah, "I consider him my brother. We came in here together, and we're going to finish together."
Ayah finds comfort in his Serbian counterpart as they both know their backgrounds are different from most people in Oxford. "We have such similar backgrounds, both being international, and experiencing these new things has definitely brought us together."
Now, at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, both fifth-year seniors have one thing on their mind: win. Having both come from winning backgrounds, each player has no other goal than to secure a MAC Championship and help continue the legacy of success at Miami.
Both have been put into positions that may not have been comfortable for either of them at times during their basketball journey. Through this discomfort blossomed self-growth and helped facilitate a friendship that each will lean on to reach the goals they have set for this season.
For many, growing up and living in America is something they do not think about often. The shining lights of New York City do not always seem as bright for a native. The casual slang that is tossed around in conversation seems normal (well, maybe after a definition is first given). The food, the language, and the culture are all aspects of the United States that, quite frankly, have always been there for most; however good, bad, or ugly they can be sometimes.
For teammates Milos Jovic of Serbia and Precious Ayah of Nigeria, however, America was a destination unlike one they had been to before; a destination in which they could fulfill their dreams and take advantage of new opportunities.
Growing up in Serbia, Milos Jovic was surrounded by basketball from an early age. "I remember looking at a photo from when I was two or three years old and I was holding a basketball in my hands, ready to go," Jovic recalled.
Jovic's father, Zoran, coached professionally for more than 30 years and had a large impact on his son's early love for the game, often bringing his young son to practice with him. Jovic also spent countless nights staying up watching NBA and NCAA basketball, all the while developing a plan for himself to make it to America.
"I just wanted to compete at the highest level and see where I was at."
The Serbian product said that basketball was a game that came easy to him, and he viewed it as his potential opportunity for more.
This childhood experience is a stark contrast from Jovic's Nigerian counterpart's upbringing.
Precious Ayah says that he grew up playing all different kinds of sports, but found himself most fond of soccer. With a heavy emphasis on community in his hometown, Ayah and the kids in his surrounding area would use whatever they could find to play all different types of games.
It was only after he discovered that basketball could lead him to a way to America and the possibility of furthering his education that he made the switch.
"One of my teachers recommended I compete in this statewide competition because I was the tallest in the school at the time," Ayah recalled. "When I found out there was a chance to go overseas, I gave it my best shot."
As each grew older, basketball helped created a myriad of new opportunities and experiences.
At the age of 16, Jovic moved by himself to the Czech Republic to attend Get Better Academy, a top-tier preparatory school known for elevating players' skills. He recalls the transition being hard initially. After settling down and focusing on his goals, the experience yielded countless benefits. While averaging 16 points and four assists in his final season, Jovic helped lead GBA to its first Czech national championship and was named to the tournament all-star team.
As his successful preparatory career came to a close, Jovic had his sights locked on his big goal: get to America.
At the same time, Jovic was making his own transitions in life, Ayah found himself in a new and unfamiliar situation as well.
Ayah's innate athleticism only got him so far as he was forced to learn basketball from its very basic elements if he wanted to see any success with the game.
"My first three months of basketball, my coach made us dribble in one spot for almost two hours at a time some days," Ayah recounted.
While his skills improved, the Nigerian native was offered a scholarship to attend Greenforest Academy in Decatur, Georgia. With one suitcase packed full of clothes, Ayah found himself at the Nigerian Embassy, obtained his visa, and left straight for America.
After touching down in Georgia, Ayah dealt with lingering feelings of anxiety and homesickness during his first few weeks. "It felt like I was starting all over again. I had no friends around, little money. It was a challenge."
Initially surviving primarily off of McDonald's as his source of nutrition, Ayah slowly became accustomed to American culture. He began to settle in with his role on the Greenforest basketball team and saw success in the classroom. By the end of his high school career, Ayah was a four-year letter winner, a two-time state champion, and salutatorian of his graduating class.
With excellent resumes, each player had a plethora of schools jostling for a chance to bring them into their programs. Jovic turned down a chance to play professionally in Serbia as well as offers from schools like Hawaii and Seton Hall. Instead, he chose to move to Oxford, Ohio, and attend Miami University. Ayah followed a similar path, turning down offers from schools like Winthrop, Yale, and Brown in favor of becoming a RedHawk.
While the excitement built up around teaming up in Oxford, both players faced difficulty in their first season with the RedHawks.
Jovic, now having relocated 4,000 miles away from home, was finding himself struggling to adapt to his new lifestyle. When talking about his first few months in the states, Jovic recalled the transition being very difficult. "It took me a good six to seven months to get adjusted," the Serbian ballplayer said. "I felt like I was going crazy. I didn't know if I was made for this."
All of that switched, however, when Jovic found his role on the team and began to realize what exactly he came here for. "There are some differences between the Serbian style of basketball and the American style, but, at the end of the day, it's just basketball."
This mindset helped Jovic through his freshman year and to continue to stick with his dream.
For Ayah, his freshman year was a bit different. The Nigerian native, who had been in the states for some time now, was poised and ready for the start of the season. He was playing well and all signs pointed to a solid season. Then, all of that changed when the Miami big man sustained a knee injury just two weeks before the first game.
While this did set Ayah back from achieving his first-year aspirations, he did find a way to discover some good from his injury. "Basketball is a game that will move on with or without you. (The injury) taught me to value every position you are in at any time and give it your all."
After some hardship faced throughout their first seasons, both athletes discovered the value of resilience and mental toughness, which eventually facilitated a strong bond between the two international players.
"Our bond is growing stronger every day," Jovic said when asked about Ayah, "I consider him my brother. We came in here together, and we're going to finish together."
Ayah finds comfort in his Serbian counterpart as they both know their backgrounds are different from most people in Oxford. "We have such similar backgrounds, both being international, and experiencing these new things has definitely brought us together."
Now, at the beginning of the 2020-21 season, both fifth-year seniors have one thing on their mind: win. Having both come from winning backgrounds, each player has no other goal than to secure a MAC Championship and help continue the legacy of success at Miami.
Both have been put into positions that may not have been comfortable for either of them at times during their basketball journey. Through this discomfort blossomed self-growth and helped facilitate a friendship that each will lean on to reach the goals they have set for this season.
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