On Tuesday, it was announced that UCLA’s Nikola Dragovic
has been ruled ineligible for the Bruins’ first 10 games of
the regular season, due to a violation of an NCAA policy.
The freshman forward from Belgrade, Serbia competed for a team
defined by a recent NCAA regulation as professional, due to the
fact that one of its players was signed under a contract and was
receiving compensation.
Although Dragovic never once received any form of payment or
compensation, he is still considered to have violated an NCAA
policy by competing on the same team as a professional.
“We found out a couple of days ago that one of the guys
signed a professional contract,” Dragovic said. “He was
a 40-year-old. He was a good player, but he was just playing for
fun.”
With thoughts of playing college basketball in the United States
for the past two years, Dragovic wanted to make sure he was not
violating any NCAA policies. Dragovic and his father, Vitomir
Dragovic, had approached the club team, Mega Ishrana, when he was
17 and asked whether it was considered an amateur team or a
professional one.
He was told that the team was an amateur one and found out just
days ago that one of his teammates was deemed professional.
“The NCAA has a definition in the manual that defines a
professional team,” said Rich Herczog, director of compliance
for the athletic department. “Once the definition of
professional team has been triggered, it’s a one-for-one
penalty for every game they played in.”
Since Dragovic only played in 10 games during his short stint,
he has been ruled ineligible for just as many UCLA games during the
regular season. Dragovic remained with the team until he turned 18,
the first age at which a player in Serbia is even allowed to sign a
contract, when he left the squad.
“It’s really upsetting for Nikola, number one, and
his family for having tried to do the right thing, and it’s
unfortunate for us because we need him and we’re going to
miss him here for the first 10 games,” UCLA coach Ben Howland
said.
Dragovic will be allowed to play in Thursday’s exhibition
game against Humboldt State, but will see limited time, according
to Howland, who will give a chance to players who will be eligible
at the onset of the season to work together.
Though he will also be allowed to continue practicing with the
team during the duration of the period of ineligibility, Dragovic
will not travel with the Bruins to Hawaii for the Maui
Invitational.
The forward’s presence will be missed by the Bruins as he
is considered one of their premier shooters and a great presence
off the bench.
“It’s going to hurt, especially on the
perimeter,” sophomore point guard Darren Collison said.
“I felt really bad because it’s really not his fault.
Fortunately, it’s only 10 games.
“The good thing is that he can just sit back and learn
from this experience and we’ll take it from there.”
Dragovic will be reinstated for the Bruins’ home game
against Michigan on Dec. 23 and hopes to be ready to make immediate
contributions.
“I’m disappointed and frustrated but I will try to
do better in school for now and get better during practice so I
will be ready to go,” he said.
MATA BACK ON COURT: Junior center Lorenzo Mata
was finally able to get back onto the court to practice after
several weeks of rehabilitation for an injured knee.
Mata took part in individual workouts on Tuesday morning and
joined the team the same afternoon for practice without
contact.
“I’m hoping that he’ll be cleared to play
(against BYU in the season opener), but how effective he’ll
be, his conditioning is obviously going to be a factor,”
Howland said.
Though Mata said there was slight soreness after the morning
workout, he is looking forward to practicing with his teammates
again.
“It feels good,” Mata said. “I can’t
wait to get back out there and start full-contact
practice.”
SHIPP’S HIPS: Redshirt sophomore Josh
Shipp was feeling the slight aftermath of the wear and tear of last
Thursday’s exhibition game against Cal Poly Pomona after the
game, having slight soreness in his hips.
However, the guard is undergoing treatment and continues to ice
the injury that has had prolonged effects from an operation
conducted last year, and it seems as though his playing time will
not suffer a hit.
“As long as he continues to do strengthening two to three
days a week and ice it, he’ll be fine I think,” Howland
said.