The University of Akron Athletics
Student-Athlete Feature: Nikola Cvetinovic
January 07 | Men's Basketball
Special for GoZips.com
AKRON, Ohio
– On the basketball court, Nikola
Cvetinovic's childhood in Loznica, Serbia, was similar to those
experienced by children his age in America.
Cvetinovic, his older sister, mother and father spent time "goofing
around on the court" trying to replicate the moves of NBA superstar
Michael Jordan and members of the Serbian national team.
"We were trying to make the same moves of the bigger guys from our
national team," Cvetinovic said of the family pick-up games. "Those
years, we were winning everything that you could win –
European championships, world championships. Next to Mike (Michael
Jordan), they were our role models."
Off the court, however, the University of Akron freshman basketball
player's childhood was painfully different. Increasing political
and social unrest sparked a civil war throughout Serbia in the
early 1990s that consumed and threatened the lives of its citizens.
With everything else in his life unsettled, basketball remained a
constant and a welcome reprieve from the daily stresses of
life.
"It meant everything to me," Cvetinovic said of the sport. "It
helped me develop as a man (and) as a person. It was my guideline
– it gave me opportunity (and) hope in life, so I'm blessed
for it."
Cvetinovic, who's known English since age 5 and speaks five
languages, left his hometown and family to come to the United
States for school and basketball in the summer of 2006. The
6-foot-8, 230-pound forward enrolled in Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, Va.
Cvetinovic admitted the transition initially had its rough
spots.
"To be honest with you, it was a little challenging at the
beginning," he said. "Different people and a different
culture."
Not only did Cvetinovic have to adapt to a new culture, but also a
different style of the game. Despite earning first-team
all-conference honors as a junior and senior at VES, UA associate
head coach Jeff Boals, who recruited Cvetinovic, said the
post player faced a learning curve his first season in
Virginia.
"His junior year, he really struggled with the pace and physicality
of the American game," Boals said.
But, by the end of the season, Cvetinovic had adapted and began
showing the potential that would continue to blossom throughout the
next year and a half. He averaged 19 points a game last season as a
high school senior, earning first-team all-state and First-Team
All-Lynchburg honors
Coincidentally, the UA staff wasn't even initially pursuing him
when watching his AAU summer league games with the East Coast
Shockers. They were after teammate Bryant Irwin. After Akron head coach Keith
Dambrot saw Cvetinovic play in several games, he asked the rest
of his staff to focus in on him.
"Every time he saw him play, Nikola kind of just kept growing on
him," Boals said. "It eventually got to the point where Coach
Dambrot said, ‘You need to see this kid on the team because he
plays extremely hard and see what you think.' "
They liked what they saw. Cvetinovic's understanding of defensive
fundamentals and intensity made him an ideal fit for the Zips'
defense-first philosophy.
"In Coach Dambrot's system, if you don't play hard and don't play
good defense, you're not going to play, so we thought he'd be a
good fit," Boals said.
As much as the coaches appreciated Cvetinovic's effort level, the
prospect appreciated the staff's honesty throughout the recruiting
process.
"All of them were honest and straightforward with me," Cvetinovic
said. "None of them told me fairytales. They said, ‘You need
to earn your way to play, to get in the rotation.' That's the fact
that I liked the most. All my life, everything I've gotten, I've
earned."
Now on campus, the freshman's made a name for himself on and off
the court. Cvetinovic's averaged 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds per
contest while appearing in each of UA's 13 non-conference games,
including two starts. His best performance to date came in the
Zips' 81-37 defeat of Urbana on Nov. 25, when he had eight points
and six rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench.
Cvetinovic also possesses the ability to score points quickly, as
he was responsible for Akron's final five points in last week's
75-53 win at UNC Greensboro – two layups and a free throw
– all coming in the final two minutes of the game.
"Nik's had limited minutes so far this year, but every time he
plays, he's always producing," Boals said.
The UA men's basketball media guide describes Cvetinovic as "one of
the more vocal and enthusiastic players on the team." At this point
in his young collegiate career, Cvetinovic's emotion may be his
biggest contribution to the squad.
"He's such an energy-guy," Boals said. "The other players feed off
of that. There's probably not a person on campus that doesn't know
about him just because he talks to everybody."
Cvetinovic knows he's often the most demonstrative player on the
floor and doesn't plan on changing. His childhood taught him to
enjoy life and he's determined to do just that.
"Every single day I woke up could have been my last one, so I try
to live every day to its fullest," he said.
His life has taught him to keep everything in perspective –
basketball is a game and is to be enjoyed.
"You'll have a rough moment, think you cannot go through some drill
or practice, but the final result, definitely, is fun," Cvetinovic
said. "Where I came from, there were not a lot of smiles; it was
more crying. Now, it's just fun. Being around those guys is just a
blessing."
