Nikola Dragovic To Join Bruins Next Season

By Bruin Basketball Report

Bruins lose one Serbian recruit but gain another.

Multiple basketball recruiting services are reporting Nikola Dragovic from Serbia-Montenergo has qualified academically and will join the UCLA basketball team this upcoming season.

Last November, Marko Spica, a fellow Serbian player, had committed to UCLA for the 2006-07 season. However, after multiple attempts to achieve a qualifying SAT score for admission to UCLA, it appears Spica will be playing basketball elsewhere next season.

Nikola Dragovic is a 6'8 215 lb forward with impressive offensive skills from the wing.

Dragovic handles the ball well on the perimter and has outstanding shooting range, providing the Bruins with another threat from three-point distance. He is aggressive around the rim and can finish strong in traffic.

On the other end of the court , Dragovic will need time to improve his defensive skills and to gain strength in his lanky body, although reportedly, he has a 6'11 wingspan to work from.

Under head coach Ben Howland, a player earns playing time with their defense, and patience from all will be required as Dragovic improves this facet of his game.

The 18 year-old Serbian played for the Avada Ada Belgrade club team of Serbia-Montenegro. He is currently playing for the Serbia-Montenegro under-20 national team which recently reached the finals of the European Championships.

In seven games of the European championship, Dragovic is averaging 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game while shooting 49% from the field including 38% on three-pointers.

Dragovic joins an already solid 2006 recruiting class of James Keefe and Russell Westbrook in Westwood.

An official announcement from the university is forthcoming.

(BruinBasketballReport.com)