The UCLA basketball program has added another late recruit for
the 2006-2007 season. The L.A. Daily News reported that 6-foot-7
swingman Nikola Dragovic, who hails from Serbia, has been accepted
by UCLA and will enroll at the university. He is also the second
player named Nikola Dragovic to become part of the UCLA athletic
program. The other Nikola Dragovic is a junior defensive end for
the football team. The report said that while Dragovic has not
signed a letter of intent, he could sign some scholarship papers
which would make his addition to the basketball team all but final.
UCLA’s other Serbian recruit, 6-foot-9 post player Marko
Spica, was not accepted to the school and consequently will not
join the Bruin program next season, the Daily News also reported.
Spica, who had struggled to post acceptable scores on multiple SAT
tests, will likely join former UCLA assistant coach Ernie Zeigler
at Central Michigan. Zeigler, who recently took the head coaching
job at Central Michigan after three years as a Bruin assistant,
recruited both Spica and Dragovic. Dragovic appeared on a few NBA
draft boards after impressing recruiters at the 2005 Reebok
Eurocamp and playing well for his team in Serbia, Mega Ishrana.
Dragovic averaged 16.4 points and 4.5 rebounds for Mega Ishrana
last season. Dragovic is known for his big wingspan and aggressive
play. His outstanding shooting ability and range have drawn
comparisons to NBA star Peja Stojakovic.
AFFLALO INJURED: Junior guard Arron Afflalo has sustained a left
foot stress reaction that is expected to sideline him from
basketball activity for 6-8 weeks. Afflalo received an MRI after
experiencing discomfort in his foot, and the MRI revealed the
stress fracture. Afflalo was the Bruins leading scorer on 18
occasions last season, and with the departures of Jordan Farmar and
Cedric Bozeman he is expected to be the primary scorer and leader
for the Bruins next season. “Arron will do everything
necessary to rehab and protect (his foot),” Howland said.
“He is being treated and monitored by our sports medicine
staff and we expect a full recovery.”
LOVE TO DECIDE: High school senior Kevin Love, the
nation’s No. 2 overall recruit as listed by Scout.com, is set
to decide which school he will be attending in 2007 this Monday or
Tuesday, according to several published reports. Love has narrowed
his choices down to two schools: UCLA and North Carolina.
“Kevin Love is the single best recruit that UCLA has
recruited since Ben Howland has been here,” said Tracy
Pierson, the publisher of BruinReportOnline, who has been following
UCLA’s recruiting for nine years. “He is a hugely
impact type of player. So the combination of him and (2007 recruit
Kyle) Singler make for the biggest recruiting experience in UCLA
basketball in recent memory.” If Love decides to become a
Bruin, he will be joining forward Chase Stanback of Fairfax High
School, who verbally committed to UCLA in April. The Bruins’
2007 recruiting class could have been boosted by another highly
sought-after recruit in guard Alex Legion from Detroit, Mich., but
Legion recommitted to Michigan this past week.