By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — Luka Bogavac’s path to his first college start for North Carolina was anything but ordinary.
The junior wing from Montenegro endured a long wait to become eligible, a process that tested his patience and resolve.
“There’s a lot of extra stuff outside of the basketball that was in my head,” said Bogavac, who played professionally for SC Derby in Podgorica, Montenegro, in the ABA league last season.
“For some time, I couldn’t really relax and just think about basketball because it was also my lifestyle out of basketball,” said Bogavac, who has 11 assists and one turnover through three games. “Everything was changed. So now I’m really happy to be on the team, trying to win every single game.”
Bogavac’s journey to Chapel Hill began with a leap of faith — and a deep respect for UNC’s legacy and Coach Hubert Davis.
“Coach Davis has this big role about my coming here,” Bogavac said. “I love what he told me about how they play — everything, also about the tradition, about the players who’ve been here, who’ve been playing. So, for me, it’s also just to be the part of this amazing program, and just to make my mark here.”
And through it all, one person has been by his side — his mother, who traveled from Montenegro and was in the crowd for his first three games.
“She was here for a few weeks,” Bogavac said. “She was in here when I checked in the first time and got a massive ovation.”
That moment — less than three months after arriving in Chapel Hill — was emotional for both of them.
“We spoke every day about our crowd, our fans,” he said. “It’s amazing in just this short time, how they love me, how they show me the love.”
He knew about Carolina’s storied history, but the passion of the fan base and the crowds caught him off guard. That was unexpected.
“It was amazing,” he said. “I think every single game is an amazing atmosphere. Never mind if it’s Kansas or some other team. Now, I’m just more happy and just love to play every single game.”
That love was mutual, from the cries of “Free Luka” during the home exhibition game he had to sit out to the support on social media.
His most special moments came when he was announced in the starting lineup and his performance in No. 18 UNC’s 89–74 Tuesday victory over Radford.
Bogavac scored a team-high 19 points, hit three 3-pointers, grabbed three rebounds, dished out five assists and added two steals.
But it didn’t start smoothly. Bogavac missed his first five 3-point attempts, a rocky beginning that he attributed to nerves and unfamiliarity.
“Maybe I was a little bit nervous,” he said. “So, this is why I miss a lot of shots [Tuesday]. So I think, with time, it will get better, and I will feel more comfortable, because everything is new for me.”
Davis saw the shift in Bogavac’s rhythm as the game progressed.
“I really felt like what got him going was getting to the basket, getting to the free-throw line, getting a layup in transition,” Davis said. “When your shot isn’t going in, you always try to get a little bit closer and try to find that rhythm. And I felt like he did.”
Bogavac’s confidence never wavered, and once he found his groove, his creativity began to shine, especially with his passing. One highlight came in the second half when he drove into the lane and delivered a hooking alley-oop pass to Caleb Wilson for a dunk.
“You can’t teach that,” Davis said. “And we didn’t teach that, but it worked. The creativity of his passing — he is a gifted passer, and he sees his teammates when he drives to the basket or makes his moves.”
Bogavac takes pride in being more than just a scorer.
“I just want to be a threat for not just shooting or getting to the rim,” he said. “I want to also help the guys to a good spot with my passing ability. I think that I can really contribute a lot like that.”
Though he’s still adjusting to the American style of play, Bogavac is embracing the freedom and pace of college basketball.
“I just wanted to understand the philosophy of our coach, which things he likes on the court,” he said. “It’s really different because there are more half-court sets in where I played before in Europe. So now it’s more like freedom, more open court. So, I have to adjust.”
His transition has been made easier by two centers who are fellow Europeans: Estonian Henri Veesaar and Croatian Ivan Matlekovic.
“For sure, Ivan, it’s his second year here [in the United States], so he knows a little bit how things go,” Bogavac said of Matlekovic, who played last season at High Point. “For me, the first month or second, I was just asking everything about other practices, the style, how we practice.”
Bogavac’s debut as a starter was a long time coming, and the crowd at the Smith Center made sure he felt the love. That gratitude fuels his drive to improve and contribute.
“When I step on the court, I don’t think about the role or stuff like that. I just think about my performance, the performance of my team,” he said
Davis sees Bogavac’s emergence as a valuable development for the team’s depth.
“I think from game to game, I will just get more comfortable, and it will help me and my team,” he said.
Tar Heels fans will be screaming and loving every minute of it.
Photo courtesy of UNC Athletics Communications
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