By now you probably know who Luka Bogavac is. You are aware that he is not only North Carolina's most recent commitment, but he is also a badly needed perimeter scoring addition.

We have been able to give some takes, but nobody is better qualified to give expert information than Arman Jovic. The international scout who specializes in European prospects has been a go to in the past, and this time it is no different.

Jovic is very familiar with Bogavac. He knows his game, how it translates to college basketball, and what the NCAA eligibility process looks like for European players.

So it was a great privilege to speak with speak with Jovic on Saturday just shortly after the Bogavac commitment, and get a true expert's opinion on the guard from Montenegro, and future Tar Heel.

THI: Tell us about Luka.

JOVIC: “To start off I think Luka is the most exceptional off the dribble shot creator in Europe that could’ve went to college, especially because of his age. He’s only 21. Obviously, he’s an older prospect coming into college. However, he is averaging 16 points per game in one of the better professional leagues in the world. He’s doing with a really solid usage rate, but a really solid volume on shots. He’s shooting 46% from the field, 40% from three, and if you watch the film every single shot is either a step-back, a contested pull-up, or just a really, really tough shot that most players can’t get off.

"So he’s the archetype of a Luka Doncic where he has the one/two size, the one/two pulls, a lot of technical stuff with his footwork. He gets his shots off by his footwork, not his speed or explosiveness. He’s not really an explosive player, but he’s really, really good at hesitations. He’s good at creating angles for himself. The way he processes the game, a lot of players in the college basketball game don’t. He can be compared to players in college, but I don’t really think there is one, because I don’t really think there are a lot of players that create that much in isolation off angles and footwork. So I really like the way he scores the ball. It’s just a breath of fresh air honestly for a player coming to college.”

THI: A college coach texted me and said this was a best possible scenario for North Carolina. He recruits Europe heavily. When I asked him why he responded, “sniper.” He says he does it on the dribble or off.

JPOVIC: “Yes, but it’s mainly also because of his release. It’s such a high arcing shot, and so he doesn’t let his defenders get close to that. So even if’s going against a 6-11 defender he’s going to shoot that so high up, sort of like Steph Curry a little bit where it’s so high and hard to contest. It doesn’t matter if it is a no-dip shot, it’s a catch-and-shoot, a one dribble pull-up. Every single shot is coordinated really, really well. What he mastered quickly is getting a shot off at an NBA level, so I really like his shooting.”

THI: Is he the guy you can go to in the final ten seconds of the shot clock and give the ball either in isolation or a ball-screen to either score of be a playmaker?

JOVIC: “For sure, I will actually go on record and say he’s the best player on UNC who can do that in my opinion. I’ve watched Kyan Evans. I’ve watched (Seth) Trimble. He’s just a lot better at creating his own shot in my opinion.”

THI: When I watch European basketball it looks a lot different than the college game. You said the Adriatic League is one of the best professional leagues in the world, so that helps. But what can we take from over there that translates into college basketball?

JOVIC: “The Adriatic League is definitely the most technical league in Europe. So France is probably going to be the most athletic. Spain is a mix of both, and then other leagues like Italy and Germany and Serbia, this is where Luka played. In my opinion there are a lot of extremely talented players like McKinley Wright who played at Colorado. So there are some really good players, but the thing is there is not a lot of athleticism in the league. There are not a lot of U.S. imports in the league, so you usually have about two per team. I think the biggest thing to process is going to be athleticism, the speed of the game.

"They play a lot in the half court, so you have guys like Luka who is a great half-court player, a great isolation player, especially against guards. When you go to college you are going to be playing against dudes in their prime, especially athletically. So you’re playing against some guys who are quite a bit older, 32 or 33 who can still play professionally, but they don’t really have the foot speed to keep up with a Walter Clayton for example. I think that’s going to be the biggest switch in my opinion, the athleticism.

In terms of pure talent and skill level even in exhibition games that don’t really count in the NCAA system. Take SC Derby for example, Luka’s team. They played USC two games in the summer of 2023. Luka averaged about 22 or 23 points per game. He killed USC. That was a very bad USC team. So you get the feeling that SC Derby is technically a developmental club but they split the series with USC. Luka has never had a hard time scoring against the American athletes before. I think he’s a player that’s going to adapt to wherever he’s going to. But the league itself is very different from college basketball in my opinion.”

THI: Is he eventually the type of player who can get to the NBA level?

JOVIC: “I think it really comes down to how he performs at UNC to get to that level. There are scouts who have an idea who he is. The older you are in Europe the less NBA teams really value you as a draft prospect. Unlike college basketball they are going to be aware of all those seniors dominating. Then those seniors have the luxury of getting drafted. UNC is a blue blood. It’s a high major program. Everyone knows UNC. Everyone keeps tabs on UNC. They have NBA prospects like Caleb Wilson. So I think Luka’s best case scenario if he performs, and over-exceeds expectations he could find his way as a draft prospect.”

THI: How do you see from an overall point of view that European players are faring when it comes to getting through NCAA eligibility standards, and college admissions boards?

Jovic: “I see it right now that the NCAA has to create a standard with these kids. That can’t grant these kids four years of eligibility if they’re 21 or 22. Each case is completely different than the last. So you’ll see Luka, he graduated in 2020 or ’21 let’s say. So every kid from Europe gets an automatic gap year, so they don’t count that first year. So the 22-23 year is an automatic gap year. If you do play for the national team multiple times in Luka’s case, you can also get another additional gap year. It’s something the players use for their case. If the NCAA grants that as a playable cause, Luka could get an extra year of eligibility. He will be guaranteed one year, but he could get two, or three, but most likely two for now. I would say one or two is likely his best case.

The NCAA is going to determine mainly if the guys are older as juniors or seniors. The traditional argument we’re seeing takes some time. You have to submit all of your processing, your NCAA ID, your transcript, everything through the NCAA, when you graduated high school, all of that stuff. There are some factors, but I think as long as a team is committed to the player the process shouldn’t take too long. He’ll have his results at least a couple of days before the first game on how many years of eligibility he will have. It can be a drag, but that’s usually how the NCAA goes about it. They won’t deem a kid ineligible. It’s more about how many years they will have.”

THI: It doesn’t sound like you see a problem with him be eligible to play on next season’s team.

JOVIC: “I really don’t see a world where he doesn’t get eligible. His agent has sent over 55 kids now to the NCAA. Some of them are even older than Luka. Luka has had a very successful professional career. He has played since he was 17. Look at Tomislov Ivisic who is at Illinois now is the same exact age as Luka. He may be two or three months younger. They play on the same exact team, and have had the same professional experience. Tomislov got three years of eligibility last year. Figure out the math. Next year Luka should get two years. That’s how I see it. I think they will quickly find a way to get him eligible for at least two years. Luka only needs one, but one or two will be what he gets.”