{{Short description|U.S. Virgin Islander-Puerto Rican basketball player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Ivan Aska | image = Ivan Aska.jpg | image_size = | caption = Aska with Murray State in February 2011 | position = Power forward / center | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8 | weight_lb = 230 | league = | team = Free Agent | number = | nationality = U.S. Virgin Islander / Puerto Rican | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|6|26}} | birth_place = Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | high_school = Boyd H. Anderson<br/>(Lauderdale Lakes, Florida) | college = Murray State (2008–2012) | draft_year = 2012 | career_start = 2012 | career_end = | years1 = 2012–2013 | team1 = Leuven Bears | years2 = 2013–2014 | team2 = Ikaros Chalkidas | years3 = 2014 | team3 = Cangrejeros de Santurce | years4 = 2014–2015 | team4 = Maccabi Ashdod | years5 = 2015–2016 | team5 = Ironi Nes Ziona | years6 = 2016 | team6 = Ironi Ramat Gan | years7 = 2016–2017 | team7 = Incheon Electroland Elephants | years8 = 2017 | team8 = PAOK | years9 = 2017–2018 | team9 = SLUC Nancy | years10 = 2018 | team10 = Kolossos Rodou | years11 = 2018–2019 | team11 = Seoul SK Knights | years12 = 2019–2020 | team12 = Hapoel Hevel Modi'in | years13 = 2021 | team13 = Rabotnički | years14 = 2021–2022 | team14 = DEAC | years15 = 2022–2023 | team15 = Malvín | years16 = 2023 | team16 = Soles de Mexicali | years17 = 2023 | team17 = San Miguel Beermen | years18 = 2024 | team18 = Al-Ahli Jeddah | years19 = 2024–2025 | team19 = Urunday Universitario | years20 = 2025 | team20 = New Taipei CTBC DEA | highlights = * FIBA CBC Championship MVP (2015) * Second-team All-OVC (2012) * OVC Freshman of the Year (2009) | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{bk|U.S. Virgin Islands}}}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA CBC Championship}} {{MedalGold|2011 The Bahamas|}} {{MedalGold|2015 British Virgin Islands|}} }} '''Ivan Aska''' (born June 26, 1990) is a U.S. Virgin Islander-Puerto Rican professional basketball player who last played for the New Taipei CTBC DEA of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). He has also represented the senior men's U.S. Virgin Islands national basketball team. He played college basketball for Murray State's Racers. He is a {{convert|2.03|m|ftin|abbr=on}} tall<ref>[http://esake.gr/el/action/EsakeplayerView?idplayer=3B41D669&mode=1 ΑΣΚΑ Ιβάν | 2,03 {{in lang|el}}.]</ref> power forward-center.
==High school== Aska played high school basketball at Boyd H. Anderson High School, in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.<ref name="GTK"/>
==College career== Aska played college basketball at Murray State University, with the Murray State Racers, from 2008 to 2012. He was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2009, and second-team All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in 2012. As a senior, Aska averaged 10.6 points and six rebounds per game.<ref name="GTK">{{cite web |title=GET TO KNOW HIM - IVAN ASKA |url=https://www.nba.com/timberwolves/get-to-know-him-ivan-aska |website=NBA.com |accessdate=April 16, 2020}}</ref>
==Professional career== Aska signed with the German Basketball Bundesliga club ALBA Berlin, in 2015,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurocupbasketball.com/item/68thlm774horh3md|title=ALBA Berlin adds size with Aska|website=Welcome to 7DAYS EuroCup}}{{dead link|date=February 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> but he left the club before playing in any official games with them. He joined the Greek Basket League club, PAOK, in March 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sdna.gr/news-english/article/309949/ivan-aska-officially-joins-paok-bc|title=Ivan Aska officially joins PAOK BC (vid)|date=March 21, 2017|website=SDNA}}</ref>
On August 28, 2017, Aska signed a deal with the SLUC Nancy Basket out in France's LNB Pro A.<ref>{{cite web | last = | first = | title = IVAN ASKA EST LE NOUVEAU PIVOT DU SLUC! | work = SLUC Nancy Basket | date = August 28, 2017 | url = http://www.sluc-basket.fr/ivan-aska-est-le-nouveau-pivot-du-sluc/ | accessdate = August 28, 2017 | language = French | archive-date = August 29, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170829040436/http://www.sluc-basket.fr/ivan-aska-est-le-nouveau-pivot-du-sluc/ | url-status = dead }}</ref> On August 5, 2018, Aska returned to Greece once more for Kolossos Rodou.
On December 31, 2018, Aska signed with the Seoul SK Knights of the Korean Basketball League to replace DaJuan Summers for two weeks.<ref>{{cite web |title=쓰러진 듀안 섬머스, SK는 아이반 아스카로 일시 대체 확정 |url=https://jumpball.co.kr/news/newsview.php?ncode=179585336260052 |website=점프볼 |access-date=January 10, 2025 |date=December 31, 2018}}</ref>
On August 1, 2019, Aska returned to Israel for a second stint, signing a one-year deal with Hapoel Hevel Modi'in of the Israeli National League.<ref>{{cite web | title = איוון אסקה חתם בהפועל חבל מודיעין | work = ONE.co.il | url = https://www.one.co.il/Article/340820.html| date = August 1, 2019 | accessdate = August 1, 2019 | language=he}}</ref>
Aska joined Rabotnički in 2021 and averaged 13.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. On August 3, 2021, Aska signed with DEAC of the Hungarian Nemzeti Bajnokság I/A.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gabor |first1=Winter |title=Ivan Aska (ex Rabotnicki) is a newcomer at Debreceni Egyetem |url=https://www.latinbasket.com/US-Virgin-Islands/news/697820/Ivan-Aska-(ex-Rabotnicki)-is-a-newcomer-at-Debreceni-Egyetem |website=Latinbasket |access-date=November 20, 2021 |date=August 3, 2021}}</ref>
In November 2023, Aska signed with the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to replace Tyler Stone as the team's import for the 2023–24 PBA Commissioner's Cup.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dy|first=Richard|url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/11/03/sports/san-miguel-taps-player-from-virgin-island-as-new-import/1917826|title=San Miguel taps player from Virgin Island as new import|website=The Manila Times|date=November 3, 2023|accessdate=November 3, 2023}}</ref>
In January 2024, Aska joined the Al-Ahli Jeddah of the Saudi Basketball League (SBL).<ref>{{cite web |title=Ivan Aska (ex SM Beermen) joins Al Ahli |url=https://www.asia-basket.com/Philippines/news/846732/Ivan-Aska-(ex-SM-Beermen)-joins-Al-Ahli |website=Eurobasket.com |access-date=January 10, 2025 |date=January 7, 2024}}</ref>
On January 24, 2025, Aska signed with the New Taipei CTBC DEA of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL).<ref>{{cite web |title=特攻釋出德芬簽下艾斯卡 將繼續尋覓大小洋將 |url=https://udn.com/news/story/7003/8512476 |accessdate=January 24, 2025 |work=United Daily News |date=January 24, 2025 }}</ref>
==The Basketball Tournament (TBT)== In the summer of 2017, Aska played in The Basketball Tournament on ESPN for Team Challenge ALS. He competed for the $2 million prize in 2017, and for Team Challenge ALS, he averaged 8.2 points per game. Aska helped take the sixth-seeded Team Challenge ALS to the Championship Game of the tournament, where they lost in a close game to Overseas Elite 86–83.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetournament.com/bracket|title=Bracket {{!}} The Basketball Tournament|website=www.thetournament.com|language=en|access-date=February 27, 2018|archive-date=May 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514091135/https://www.thetournament.com/bracket|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==U.S. Virgin Islands national team== Aska has been a member of the senior men's U.S. Virgin Islands national basketball team. With the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aska has played at the following tournaments: the 2011 FIBA CBC Championship, where he won a gold medal, the 2012 Centrobasket, the 2015 FIBA CBC Championship, where he won a gold medal, and the 2016 Centrobasket.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170322111735/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/lid_38135_cp/1/pid/75890/q/ivan%20aska/rpp//_//players.html Ivan ASKA (ISV).]</ref>
He was named the MVP of the 2015 FIBA CBC Championship.
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20170322111735/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/p/lid_38135_cp/1/pid/75890/q/ivan%20aska/rpp//_//players.html FIBA profile] (archive) *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160101164856/http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/gamecent/p/pid/6058841/playerview.html FIBA profile] (game center) *[http://basketball.asia-basket.com/player/Ivan-Aska/South-Korea/Inchon-ET-Land-Elephants/164110 Eurobasket.com profile] *[http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Ivan-Aska-18590/ Draftexpress.com profile] *[http://esake.gr/el/action/EsakeplayerView?idplayer=3B41D669&mode=1 Greek Basket League profile] {{in lang|el}} *[http://widgets.baskethotel.com/site/esake/player/5113219/ Greek Basket League profile] {{in lang|en}} *[http://www.goracers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2469 Murray State Racers bio] *[http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/41292/ivan-aska ESPN.com College Stats]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aska, Ivan}} Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Basketball players at the 2019 Pan American Games Category:Basketball players from Florida Category:Cangrejeros de Santurce basketball players Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Daegu KOGAS Pegasus players Category:Debreceni EAC (basketball) players Category:Hapoel Hevel Modi'in B.C. players Category:Ikaros B.C. players Category:Ironi Ness Ziona B.C. players Category:Maccabi Ironi Ramat Gan players Category:Leuven Bears players Category:Maccabi Ashdod B.C. players Category:Murray State Racers men's basketball players Category:Pan American Games competitors for the United States Virgin Islands Category:P.A.O.K. BC players Category:Puerto Rican men's basketball players Category:Power forwards Category:SLUC Nancy Basket players Category:Small forwards Category:United States Virgin Islands men's basketball players Category:Boyd H. Anderson High School alumni Category:Expatriate basketball people in Belgium Category:Club Malvín basketball players Category:Soles de Mexicali players Category:Puerto Rican expatriate basketball people in Greece Category:Puerto Rican expatriate basketball people in Israel Category:Puerto Rican expatriate basketball people in South Korea Category:Puerto Rican expatriate basketball people in France Category:Expatriate basketball people in North Macedonia Category:Expatriate basketball people in Hungary Category:Puerto Rican expatriate basketball people in Uruguay Category:Puerto Rican expatriate basketball people in Mexico Category:San Miguel Beermen players Category:Philippine Basketball Association imports Category:Expatriate basketball people in Saudi Arabia Category:Al-Ahli Jeddah basketball players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Kolossos Rodou B.C. players Category:Seoul SK Knights players Category:KK Rabotnički players Category:Urunday Universitario basketball players Category:New Taipei CTBC DEA players Category:Taiwan Professional Basketball League imports