Mar 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels fans before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Tar Heels Welcome Luka Bogavac to Chapel Hill at Last

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Aug 13, 2025 10:47 PM ET

After concerns he might not make it to campus, Luka Bogavac has arrived from Montenegro and is now in Chapel Hill.

The 6'5" wing committed to UNC on May 31 but he had to go through several steps before he could step foot on campus. First, Bogavac cleared UNC admissions in early July. He then interviewed with government officials at the U.S. embassy in Montenegro to obtain his student visa a few weeks ago. The 22-year-old freshman is now set to begin classes Monday, Aug. 18.

“I hadn’t considered college as an option — during the season, a serious offer and great interest appeared,” Bogavac told reporter Savo Njunjić of Vjiesti this summer (in Montenegrin, translated to English). “Knowing that North Carolina is the cradle of NCAA basketball and one of the most prestigious universities, I couldn’t refuse the offer when it arrived. There was interest from other colleges, but when the offer from North Carolina arrived, I knew that this was it.”

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Bogavac is one of 10 new players on the 2025-26 roster as head coach Hubert Davis and general manager Jim Tanner completely flipped the roster following a disappointing 23-14 season that ended in a first-round exit at the hands of Ole Miss. He will also be one of three Europeans on the 2025-26 squad joining center Henri Veesaar (Estonia) and Ivan Matlekovic (Croatia).

Bogavac, who committed to UNC on May 31, played four professional seasons in ABA Liga (the Adriatic Basketball Association) for the SC Derby club based out of Podgorica, Montenegro.

Bogavac is a knock-down perimeter shooter and he provides maturity and poise for a freshman due to his 21 years of age and playing against professional athletes before coming to America.

Bogavac had his strongest season professionally as he averaged 14.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in 2024-25, while shooting 45.1% from the field, 39.9% on three-point shots and 87% from the charity strike. He scored 19 or more points in eight of his final 15 ABA games, including a 24-point game where he made with seven three-pointers on March 30, and a season-high 27 points on April 25.

“North Carolina fans can expect a temperamental and characterful player, I will try to give 100 percent,” Bogavac said. “I have great energy, character. I know that the expectations are high and I will try to justify them. I like to be a man of decisions, I like to take the initiative. I like to ask questions, to make decisions. I know where I come from, that it is the University with the largest fan base in America. I will make sure that the team achieves as many victories as possible and goes to the very top.”

Bogavac has also represented his country in international play. He competed for Montengro in the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2022 and 2023, and was a member of the senior Montenegrin national team in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament and the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers.

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

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