By R.L. Bynum
It took about 75 days after he committed to Carolina, but Montenegrin wing Luca Bogavac is finally in Chapel Hill.
He obtained the necessary student visa and admission to UNC, and he will still require NCAA clearance to play for the Tar Heels, according to reports from Inside Carolina. But the most challenging aspects are behind him.
Bogavac toured the Smith Center facilities on Wednesday to get a taste of the program’s tradition, along with High Point center transfer Ivan Matlekovic from Croatia.
The 6–5, 201-pound Bogavac, who turns 22 next month, was one of the best players in the ABA (Adriatic Basketball Association), averaging 14.9 points per game while making 39.9% of his field-goal attempts and 40% of his 3-point attempts.
Coach Hubert Davis was in urgent need of a wing to help fill the void left by Brooklyn Nets rookie Drake Powell, and Bogavac appears to fit the bill perfectly.
A professional since September 2021, Bogavac debuted in the ABA League with Mega Basket, competing against players well beyond college age. His season-high came with 27 points and five three-pointers—one of eight times in his final 15 games when he scored at least 19.
Bogavac is one of 10 newcomers for next season, including freshmen Caleb Wilson, Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon, sophomore transfers Jonathan Powell and Matlekovic, and junior transfers Jaydon Young, Henri Veesaar, Kyan Evans and Jarin Stephenson.
Bogavac is the third foreign-born player on the roster, in addition to Estonian native Veesaar and Matlekovic.
His father, Nebojsa Bogavac, is a coach in the ABA, having played 14 seasons.
Roster assuming all players with eligibility other than Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar and the seven players who entered the transfer portal return, which would put UNC two under the 15-player limit. The class for next season is listed.
| No./ Stars | Class | Player | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 star | Freshman | Maximo Adams | SF | 6–7 | 205 |
| 3 star | Freshman | Malloy Smith | CG | 6–5 | 190 |
| 5 star | Freshman | Sayon Keita | C | 7–0 | 215 |
| 4 star | Freshman | Kevin Thomas | W | 6–7 | 190 |
| RS freshman | Cade Bennerman — W | C | 7–0 | 205 | |
| Sophomore | Neoklis Avdalas — X | G | 6–9 | 215 | |
| Sophomore | Isaiah Denis | G | 6–4 | 180 | |
| Sophomore | Matt Able — Y | G | 6–5 | 196 | |
| Senior | Terrence Brown — Z | G | 6–3 | 174 | |
| 4 | Senior | Jaydon Young | G | 6–4 | 200 |
| 15 | Senior | Jarin Stevenson | 4 | 6–10 | 215 |
| Walk-ons | |||||
| 25 | Junior | John Holbrook | 4 | 6–8 | 230 |
| 32 | Senior | Evan Smith | 2 | 6–1 | 195 |
W — Northwestern transfer. X — Virginia Tech transfer; Y — N.C. State transfer; Z — Utah transfer
Michael Malone’s coaching staff: Chuck Martin, Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May and Pat Sullivan; Deon Thompson will be a graduate assistant, and Brandon Robinson will reportedly have a support staff position.
Players who left for the transfer portal
| Player | Class next season | Pos. | Hgt | Wgt | Next school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luka Bogavac | Senior | W | 6–6 | 215 | Oklahoma State |
| James Brown | Senior | C | 6–10 | 240 | Howard |
| Derek Dixon | Sophomore | G | 6–5 | 200 | Arizona |
| Kyan Evans | Senior | G | 6–2 | 175 | Minnesota |
| Zayden High | Junior | C | 6–10 | 230 | South Florida |
| Jonathan Powell | Junior | G | 6–6 | 190 | Pittsburgh |
| Ivan Matlekovic | Junior | C | 7–0 | 255 |
Key offseason dates
Thursday through May 28 — Kevin Thomas at USA Basketball U18 national team tryouts in Colorado Springs
Thursday through Sunday — Sayon Keita at EuroLeague NextGen Finals in Athens, Greece
May 27 (11:59 p.m.) — NCAA early-entry withdrawal deadline
June 13 — Deadline for international players to withdraw from NBA draft and maintain college eligibility
June 23–24 — NBA draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn
Nonconference schedule so far
(Other than the ACC/SEC Challenge, games without links revealed from reporting by Alex Rosinski or Rocco Miller)
(11 of 14 games)
Nov. 2 — vs. Western Carolina
Nov. 6 — vs. Wofford
Nov. 10 — vs. Wyoming
Nov. 13 — vs. Georgia
Nov. 20 — vs. Marshall
Nov. 27 — vs. West Virginia at the Dick Vitale Invitational at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center
Dec. 1 or 2 — vs. SEC team in ACC/SEC Challenge (announced last year on June 12)
Dec. 12 — at Georgetown
Dec. 19 — vs. Kentucky in CBS Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, 2:30 p.m.
Dec. 21 — vs. The Citadel
November or December — vs. Butler
Top photo via @UNC_Basketball; other photos courtesy of FIBA
