Feb 2, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) with the ball as Syracuse Orange guard Nate Kingz (4) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Luka Bogavac Cites Genesis of New UNC Confidence

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Logan Lazarczyk | Last updated Feb 4, 2026 9:00 AM ET

The North Carolina Tar Heels extended their win streak to four games after defeating the Syracuse Orange 87-77 on Monday night at the Dean E. Smith Center. It was a dominant performance by the Tar Heels, but near late-game blunder marred what should have been an impressive and resounding win.

A major reason for the Tar Heels' recent success has been overseas transfer Luka Bogavac, who totaled 10 points, two rebounds, and one assist while shooting 4-of-6 from the field.

While speaking with the media during his postgame press conference, Bogavac shared how he has found his rhythm in recent weeks.

Bogavac's Thoughts

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“The main thing is just trying to learn my teammates on the court - what they like and what they don’t like, so that’s been the main thing," Bogavac said.

The 6-foot-5, 216-pound guard has scored double-digit points in each of the last three games, shooting 14-of-23 during that span. Bogavac explained how his shot is feeling much better compared to early in the season.

“Yes, for sure," Bogavac said. "If you watch the games, you can see my shot has been better over the last couple games. But as I’ve said before, I’m practicing the same way as I have since I got here so nothing has really changed with my approach.”

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina held a 32-point lead midway through the second half, but found itself leading by only six points with less than a minute remaining. Bogavac elaborated on what led to the Tar Heels' lead evaporating in the final minutes.

“We were relaxed I think in the last 10 minutes," Bogavac said. "We just put ourselves in a bad position, we thought that we were good and we didn’t have to fight. So, after that, they made a stretch and we have to learn from this.”

The first-year college guard also discussed how the film will reveal a lot of what transpired in the final minutes of the game.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

“Yeah, we have to learn to react faster when we miss a couple shots and give up a couple of baskets," Bogavac said. "I think we took a lot of time to react, and we should be faster to react, so this is really key for us in the coming games.”

The Tar Heels host the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday at the Dean E. Smith Center, and Bogavac was asked about his thoughts heading into the matchup.

“I knew about it," Bogavac said. "It’s maybe the biggest game in United States college basketball, for sure, so knew about North Carolina and Duke for sure.”

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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