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University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: DALTON T. WAINSCOTT
Lucas: I Must
November 12, 2025 | Men's Basketball, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Luka Bogavac has high standards as he makes the transition to college basketball.
By Adam Lucas
Luka Bogavac had just recorded his first career start as a college basketball player. He led his team in scoring with 19 points. He tied for the team high with five assists. He did not commit a turnover. He was part of probably the signature highlight of the night, as he flipped a lob over his head to Caleb Wilson, who dunked it home. Bogavac led all players with a +26 rating when he was on the court.
And what else?
Oh yes. Bogavac was mad. Really mad.
"Personally, I have to find my rhythm," he said on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "I will spend more time working and be more comfortable and my play will be better for sure. My teammates put me in a great spot to enable me to lead the team in scoring, but I missed everything tonight…I can't depend on my shooting ability only. I want to contribute to winning and make good plays for others. I can play better defense. I must."
Reminder: Carolina won the game, 89-74, Bogavac was the leading scorer, and the Tar Heels are 3-0. The only truly bad thing that happened to Bogavac was when he was the recipient of one of Jonathan Powell's nuclear high fives when Powell was leaving the game while being frustrated by a bad play (Powell got assistant coach Pat Sullivan with one of those high fives earlier in the season; he will soon come with a parental warning).
But the encouraging thing about adding a dash of international talent to your team is that they are often players who have played so much basketball that they aren't fooled by numbers, and aren't satisfied when the box score numbers hide shortcomings they saw in their own game. They don't just want to play better. They must.
Bogavac, who goes by Bogi with his teammates, just shrugged. "I played pro basketball," he said by way of explaining his high standards.
He did, of course. He played 55 games over the last two seasons in the Adriatic Basketball Association. There, he was one of the younger players, where he was playing against players with veteran savvy almost every night…which quickly enabled him to develop some of that same basketball IQ.
You can see it when he's on the floor for the Tar Heels. Even when his shot isn't falling—and it wasn't on Tuesday, as he missed several open jumpers he'd like to have back—he finds other ways to impact the game.
Those five assists tied Kyan Evans for the team lead, and he notched his first one on Carolina's first basket of the game. Wilson hit Bogavac on the wing ahead of the play. Bogavac paused just enough to let Wilson race past him and fill the lane, then hit him in stride cruising to the rim for two points and a foul. There was no forcing the action. Instead, there was a veteran's patience to let the play develop and then make the instinctive play.
His second assist was a nice diagonal bullet to Henri Veesaar for a dunk. His third dissected the Radford zone, which occasionally gave Carolina problems, for a Powell corner three-pointer. His fourth came when he secured a defensive rebound, pushed the pace, and hit Kyan Evans ahead of the defense for a bucket. And his fifth was that highlight reel lob to Wilson.
Five assists, four different recipients. The Tar Heel coaching staff believes his passing ability might be the most underrated part of his game, and after three games he is one of only two Carolina players in double figures in assists (the other is Evans, who has 13; Bogavac has 11).
He's a big part of what has made this a fun Carolina team to watch through three victories. Wilson is dynamic, of course, but the passing that leads to some of those baskets is gorgeous. So surely this is an area he can agree he's been exceptional?
"I could do a better job on passing," Bogavac said (of course he did). "My passing ability can be a plus for our team. If I'm not making my shots I can pass and make everyone else happy and make sure the ball doesn't stick in my hands."
He does have a hair trigger, but he rarely comes across as a gunner. And the seriousness with which he is treating being a Tar Heel makes him even more endearing. It's an important year for Carolina Basketball. Having someone on the roster who already knows how to treat it as important is an asset.
Although it's not how he wanted it to happen, we'll see even more of Bogavac during the absence of Seth Trimble. Bogavac moved into the starting lineup on Tuesday night. The development he'll receive over the next few games until the senior returns will be invaluable and ultimately should make Carolina a better team in March. Bogavac will continue to adapt to life in America, the college game and to UNC's transition style.
After all, he doesn't just want to be part of a winner this year.
He must.
Luka Bogavac had just recorded his first career start as a college basketball player. He led his team in scoring with 19 points. He tied for the team high with five assists. He did not commit a turnover. He was part of probably the signature highlight of the night, as he flipped a lob over his head to Caleb Wilson, who dunked it home. Bogavac led all players with a +26 rating when he was on the court.
And what else?
Oh yes. Bogavac was mad. Really mad.
"Personally, I have to find my rhythm," he said on the Tar Heel Sports Network. "I will spend more time working and be more comfortable and my play will be better for sure. My teammates put me in a great spot to enable me to lead the team in scoring, but I missed everything tonight…I can't depend on my shooting ability only. I want to contribute to winning and make good plays for others. I can play better defense. I must."
Reminder: Carolina won the game, 89-74, Bogavac was the leading scorer, and the Tar Heels are 3-0. The only truly bad thing that happened to Bogavac was when he was the recipient of one of Jonathan Powell's nuclear high fives when Powell was leaving the game while being frustrated by a bad play (Powell got assistant coach Pat Sullivan with one of those high fives earlier in the season; he will soon come with a parental warning).
But the encouraging thing about adding a dash of international talent to your team is that they are often players who have played so much basketball that they aren't fooled by numbers, and aren't satisfied when the box score numbers hide shortcomings they saw in their own game. They don't just want to play better. They must.
Bogavac, who goes by Bogi with his teammates, just shrugged. "I played pro basketball," he said by way of explaining his high standards.
He did, of course. He played 55 games over the last two seasons in the Adriatic Basketball Association. There, he was one of the younger players, where he was playing against players with veteran savvy almost every night…which quickly enabled him to develop some of that same basketball IQ.
You can see it when he's on the floor for the Tar Heels. Even when his shot isn't falling—and it wasn't on Tuesday, as he missed several open jumpers he'd like to have back—he finds other ways to impact the game.
Those five assists tied Kyan Evans for the team lead, and he notched his first one on Carolina's first basket of the game. Wilson hit Bogavac on the wing ahead of the play. Bogavac paused just enough to let Wilson race past him and fill the lane, then hit him in stride cruising to the rim for two points and a foul. There was no forcing the action. Instead, there was a veteran's patience to let the play develop and then make the instinctive play.
His second assist was a nice diagonal bullet to Henri Veesaar for a dunk. His third dissected the Radford zone, which occasionally gave Carolina problems, for a Powell corner three-pointer. His fourth came when he secured a defensive rebound, pushed the pace, and hit Kyan Evans ahead of the defense for a bucket. And his fifth was that highlight reel lob to Wilson.
Five assists, four different recipients. The Tar Heel coaching staff believes his passing ability might be the most underrated part of his game, and after three games he is one of only two Carolina players in double figures in assists (the other is Evans, who has 13; Bogavac has 11).
He's a big part of what has made this a fun Carolina team to watch through three victories. Wilson is dynamic, of course, but the passing that leads to some of those baskets is gorgeous. So surely this is an area he can agree he's been exceptional?
"I could do a better job on passing," Bogavac said (of course he did). "My passing ability can be a plus for our team. If I'm not making my shots I can pass and make everyone else happy and make sure the ball doesn't stick in my hands."
He does have a hair trigger, but he rarely comes across as a gunner. And the seriousness with which he is treating being a Tar Heel makes him even more endearing. It's an important year for Carolina Basketball. Having someone on the roster who already knows how to treat it as important is an asset.
Although it's not how he wanted it to happen, we'll see even more of Bogavac during the absence of Seth Trimble. Bogavac moved into the starting lineup on Tuesday night. The development he'll receive over the next few games until the senior returns will be invaluable and ultimately should make Carolina a better team in March. Bogavac will continue to adapt to life in America, the college game and to UNC's transition style.
After all, he doesn't just want to be part of a winner this year.
He must.
Players Mentioned
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