[NBA]

Savovic, hoping to land
spot in first round,
continues NBA tour

The UH alumnus looks to find
a niche as a sharpshooter

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By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.com

Frequent-flyer miles, cell phone minutes or jump shots ... Predrag Savovic isn't sure which he has racked up more of in the past few weeks.

The former Hawaii guard is making the rounds of the NBA predraft workouts, hoping to raise his profile and stock for the June 26 draft.

If it's Tuesday, it must be Memphis. If it's Friday, it must be New York.

That's where Savovic was yesterday, working out with the New York Knicks. He next heads to Chicago for the NBA predraft camp, which runs Tuesday through Friday at Moody Bible Institute.

"It's great, it's a great time in my life," Savovic said in a telephone call. "Everywhere I've visited, I've liked. But in the end it's not who I like, but who likes me. It's their decision."

In addition to New York and Memphis, the 6-foot-6 guard has had individual workouts with the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz and Golden State Warriors. Following the Chicago camp, Savovic has other workouts set "that my agent is handling," he said.

"I'm enjoying this, traveling around and trying out for the best league in the world," Savovic added.

The Yugoslavian national celebrated both his business/finance degree from UH and his 26th birthday last week. His grade-point average for his final spring semester was a 3.0.

"That's pretty good considering I left early," Savovic said. "But the professors were very understanding and let me turn in my work early.

"I'll be back in Hawaii soon for vacation and, at some point, I will come back to live there. Just tell everyone I miss them and Hawaii."

Many of the NBA Draft prognosticators have Savovic, the UH career leader in 3-point goals, being selected in the late first round or early second round. The teams that are most in need of the services of a pure shooter are Cleveland (No. 6 pick), Indiana (14), Philadelphia (16), Utah (19), Toronto (20), New Jersey (24), Denver (25) and the Lakers (27).

Also working out with the Knicks yesterday was Dajuan Wagner, a freshman at Memphis this past season. Wagner also worked out Tuesday for the Memphis Grizzlies, reportedly holding his own in long-range shooting drills against Savovic.

Yesterday was the last day for teams to hold individual workouts until June 11.