Luka Bogavac's Blueprint: Aggressive Play, Short Memory

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The lid came off the bucket for Luka Bogavac on Monday night, breaking a two-game slump, and setting the blueprint for how the first-year Tar Heel can be a consistent contributor the rest of the season.

After an offseason clouded by speculations surrounding his eligibility — punctuated by “Free Luka” signs and chants filling the Smith Center — the Montenegrin wing made his debut against Central Arkansas looking like the 22-year-old veteran that the UNC staff expected, rather than someone playing his first seconds of basketball in the United States. 

Bogavac scored in double-figures in nine of his first 10 games as a Tar Heel, but for a two games, the former Adriatic Basketball Association standout suddenly hit a wall. 

Going into the matchup with East Carolina on Tuesday night, Bogavac had scored just four points across his last two games in decreased time on the court, playing 13 minutes against Ohio State and 20 against East Tennessee State. 

In the Tar Heels’ prior three games in the month of December — Kentucky, Georgetown, and USC Upstate — Bogavac was averaging more than 30 minutes per game and 13.7 points. 

Monday’s game against the Pirates fit the bill for the proverbial “get-right” spot for the Tar Heels going into conference play, and no performance embodied that more than Bogavac’s. After having more fouls than points in his last two outings, Bogavac came out with a purpose on Monday night, scoring five of UNC’s first 10 points.

“I just need some aggressiveness,” Bogavac said after the game Monday. “Just to be aggressive from the first minute, I should play like this every game.” 

It was a much more complete outing from Bogavac on Monday as well, playing 24 minutes and registering 15 points to go along with four rebounds and two assists. 

Bogavac made one combined field goal against the Buckeyes and Buccaneers. Monday against the lowly Pirates, Bogavac regained his confidence of old, going 5-of-9 from the field and 4-for-5 at the charity stripe. 

“Don’t think about the past too much, just try to make better decisions in the future and try to be better,” Bogavac said. “For me, this is the goal for the rest of the season.”

Perhaps it’s the inevitable “freshman wall” that many first-year players run into — or the weight of his first finals week in Chapel Hill — but the academically-credited junior seemingly got over the hump on Monday night, and the Tar Heels hope that gets him trending in the right direction entering ACC play. 

“He was aggressive, he was on point tonight and it’s exactly what we need,” Hubert Davis said.