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Friday, November 24, 2000
Who’s the Bosko? EXACTLY one year ago it was just another routine workday for Bosko Radovic, now a freshman basketball player at the University of Hawaii.
The Rainbows are hoping the
6-foot-9 Radovic will be a force in
the middle for tonight's gameBy Dave Reardon
Star-BulletinHe couldn't take off the biggest unofficial holiday in America other than Super Bowl Sunday; they don't celebrate Thanksgiving -- much less the day after Thanksgiving -- in Yugoslavia.
"I know that it is when everyone eats a lot of turkey," Radovic said earlier this week when asked what the holiday meant to him.
The 21-year-old history and culture buff has likely learned about pilgrims and Plymouth Rock since; Radovic says his most interesting experiences so far in Hawaii is his visit to Iolani Palace.
Yesterday he enjoyed the annual turkey day feast that Joan Wallace, wife of UH coach Riley Wallace, prepares for the basketball team.
Today, the 6-foot-9 forward hopes to gobble some rebounds as he starts for the first time as a Rainbow, tonight against Southeastern Louisiana in the United Airlines Tip-Off Tournament.
Game-time is 6 p.m., and Elon and San Diego follow at 8.
Radovic played well in UH's season-opening 86-71 loss to Louisville last Friday. He scored nine points in 21 minutes, sparking Hawaii as it tried to come back in the second half.
With center Haim Shimonovic's eligibility at question, Radovic has suddenly become a key player.
"It's tough to tell this early how good he will be. We've got him in on potential," Wallace said.
"He's got good offensive skills, and he's capable of disturbing shooters with his long arms. He's got good court sense and seems to be ahead on awareness and what we want him to do."
Radovic is with the Rainbows partly through the efforts of countryman Predrag Savovic. The UH guard helped convince the coaches and Radovic he'd be a good fit.
"He's very smart, and he's a team player," Savovic said.
Radovic's mission now is to get a little nastier, to become a true power forward.
He managed only three rebounds in the Louisville game. Three UH guards had more.
In amateur leagues in Yugoslavia, Radovic mostly played the small forward spot.
"But I know that for us, especially right now with Haim out, I have to be more the 4 (power forward) position. Especially I'm trying to better my defense," he said.
The 20 pounds of muscle Radovic's put on since arriving last summer, bringing him up to 215, should help.
So should tutoring from associate head coach Bob Nash, who was the program's best big man ever and played power forward in the NBA.
"Bosko needs to play with a little more aggression. He has great skills as an outside shooter and the ability to play above the rim, but sometimes he plays a little too much on the outside," Nash said.
Radovic's grasp of English is improving along with his knowledge of the UH offensive sets -- steadily.
"Sometimes I have difficulty with vocabulary in classes, but the tutors are very helpful," he said.
He took four years of high school English. But Radovic rarely used it the three years after, when he worked for his father's small distribution company in Yugoslavia.
"It was just sitting in the office doing paperwork. Boring," Radovic said. "Hawaii is a good opportunity to do something different."
