By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
LESKOVAC, Serbia – On March 30, former Tennessee Tech guard Aleksa Jugovic will be celebrating his 25th birthday.
In this time of uncertainty, the big day won't be celebrated with a night out on the town. Instead, he will be with his loved ones, practicing social distancing as the coronavirus COVID-19 continues to make its way through the world.
It's a different world than even what it was a month or so ago as people have had to learn to adapt to changes. A look outside and busy streets are nearly deserted, as countless people have gone inside their homes to weather the storm – so to speak – and slow down the spread of the virus.
But Jugovic is trying to make the best of the situation.
"I'm at home with my parents," he said. "We are all trying to stay positive and enjoy this time together."
Of course, there's the added perk of learning or improving one's skills during the isolation.
"I'm working on perfecting my cooking skills – that's my number one goal," Jugovic said. "I might try to learn another language if quarantine gets extended."
That's not too lofty of a goal for the former Golden Eagle guard – he already knows three.
It is incredible how quickly we all got to this situation. For many of us, the beginning of the month was just another day. Locally, the tornado that hit brought communities together, but, for the most part, it was still business as usual.
The same goes for Jugovic: "I was playing for a team in my home town this year. This past Saturday (March 14), we had a game. We didn't know how the situation would unveil itself. Just like that, a state of emergency is called and everything gets shut down, as well as all sports activities.
"So, luckily, I was at home at the time. I didn't have to experience any inconveniences being far from home and rushing to travel back."
With as quickly as everyone there has been forced into the shelter of their own homes, there, fortunately, hasn't been any shortage of supplies.
"There seems to be enough, so far," Jugovic said. "Our president (Aleksandar Vučić) announced that there are supplies available for an extensive period of time. He's telling us not to panic and to retain our solidarity."
Jugovic played four seasons with the Golden Eagles from 2014-15 to 2017-18, scoring 1,319 points in his career as a 38.5-percent 3-point shooter (230-of-598) and 42.6-percent field goal shooter (417-of-978). He was also 255-of-292 (87.3) at the charity stripe and even ranked 11th in the country in free-throw shooting as a junior. He is Tech's 15th highest scorer in program history, ranks third in 3-point percentage – including a 7-for-7 game at New Mexico as a senior – and is second in career 3-pointers made, trailing Frank Davis by 21. He is also second in career free throw percentage.
What's a normal day for Jugovic right now? "I get up in the morning," he said. "I try to be on my summer terrace to catch some of the sun. I'll catch up with friends and family from all over the world to see how everyone is doing. I'll help my mom cook some good meals.
"I'll read some books, watch some TV or movies. I even started doing some workouts just by following some random programs on the internet to stay in shape and stay active."
He continued, "It's all just regular stuff. More importantly, I'm trying to enjoy the small things and details in daily life you don't appreciate as much because you're usually in some kind of hurry most of the time."
It certainly hasn't been an easy time as attention gets drawn to what's going on outside.
"Our president and government called for a state of emergency and police hours are in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., so it's basically a ghost town in those hours," Jugovic said. "During the day, they also suggest as little movement and social interaction as possible. There's a fine or even potentially prison time if you are outside in those hours without permission. Pretty much everything besides grocery stores, pharmacies and other most needed places are about to be closed and possibly even police hours extended, so it's getting kind of crazy.
"I hope that people don't start to panic and keep their composure."
Jugovic, a team captain for the Golden Eagles for two seasons, continued, "I left my house once in the last two days and went to get basic needs for my grandparents. I left it at their front porch while my grandma waved at me from upstairs. It's so bizarre, man. People 65 and older aren't allowed outside. They have to stay in all day with food and basic necessities delivered to them by volunteers or by police."
However, there are still shows of unity among the troubling backdrop.
"At 8 p.m., when police hour starts, people are at their windows at their buildings and houses, clapping for medical staff to show support and respect for what they do. It gets emotional. It gets people united and see that it is a serious issue we're dealing with.
"The biggest struggle is trying to adapt to this bizarre situation. All you can do is listen to medical experts and the government about what can be done individually in order to get through this situation and help contain any further spread of the virus."
Jugovic still sees some lessons to learn from the situation: "You have to learn not to rush in a day," he said. "You have to focus and enjoy each activity, be grateful for the time you get to spend together with friends and family. Just stay in the moment, really. We all can learn from this. Everything can change so fast and intervene with our plans for the future."
TTU Athletics encourages all of our student-athletes, staff, fans and supporters to follow the CDC's guidelines to slow the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. For more information, follow this link.
