(Kevin Kadooka -- The Beacon)
By Joanna Goodwin, Staff Writer -- goodwin12@up.edu
Another tough practice ends and junior Nemanja Mitrovic and the other players huddle up around Head Coach Eric Reveno for the final pep talk of the day.
Reveno reminds them of the competition they have against (then) No. 24 St. Mary's the following day and that they need to put in all of their effort for this one.
"You've got to have moxy! You've got to have balls!" he shouts in closing.
On the court, Nemanja Mitrovic is the 6'5", 200-pound, guard who is currently ranked fourth in the country in three-point field goal percentage. In December, he was named West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Month.
On the other hand, Mitrovic the student is a junior finance major with a 12-year-old brother and parents back home in Toronto, Canada.
He is taking his time to enjoy life and make his college experience everything he ever wanted and more.
So how does he keep it all balanced? What makes him tick?
"Sometimes, people think you can do whatever you want, but it's really not true," Mitrovic said.
According to Mitrovic, his success did not come overnight. He had to work hard to get where he is today.
"There was not a huge push for me to get into sports, but I always had a lot of support," Mitrovic said.
His father spent 18 years playing basketball professionally throughout Europe and was on the Yugoslavian National Team.
"(My dad) really helped with my knowledge of the game," Mitrovic said.
He never thought about attending UP until Reveno pursued him.
"I had coaches tell me about him and I was able to see videos of him on YouTube," Reveno said.
Reveno's became impressed with Mitrovic's athleticism and his ability to shoot at a high level.
Once Mitrovic decided to go to UP, he knew he had done the right thing.
"There was a big adjustment period," Mitrovic said. "Freshman year as whole tested me in every aspect and I came out of it stronger than I could've ever imagined."
According to Mitrovic, after any new player becomes a part of a team, it takes time to really feel a part of the group.
"The team was a really tight-knit group and they had an impressive chemistry," he said. "When you spend so much time with people, especially on the road, it really makes the guys feel more together."
Besides his respect for the team dynamic, Mitrovic loves seeing the student section full of fans and finds the support from the community incredible.
Often times after the game, Mitrovic will sign posters and t-shirts for enthusiastic kids who attended.
"They may not even know what is going on during the game," Mitrovic said. "But seeing them get so excited makes us excited."
Senior Jared Stohl, Mitrovic's teammate and last year's number one three-point shooter in the nation, also acknowledges the Pilots' team atmosphere.
"No one guy outshines the other. We are a balanced team that focuses on winning. Everyone just needs to find their role," he said.
"(Mitrovic) is a great competitor and he loves to win," Stohl said, jokingly following his praise with a warning that Mitrovic "better not break my (three-point) record!"
Reveno shared similar sentiments on Mitrovic's adjustment.
"He and the rest of the team do a great job at learning lessons of teamwork and creating goals as a group," Reveno said. "Nem only had 43 minutes of playing time his freshman year, but when Nick Ravio was injured, Nem was prepared to step in."
Mitrovic hopes to continue with basketball after college and would love the chance to coach. But he also acknowledges the other possibilites for his life and career in basketball.
"I want to be remembered as a guy who worked hard to get where I'm at and the success that I have had didn't come overnight," Mitrovic said.
Reveno also believes that Mitrovic has the potential to continue on with basketball.
"I want to let him dream and I believe he can make it someday," Reveno said.
