Catching up with Stefan Jovanovic
Most of the players on the University of Hawai’i basketball team went home for the 10-day break that separates the end of summer classes and the start of fall classes.
Stefan Jovanovic is not one of them. The 6-foot-10 freshman center will remain in Hawai’i to train and continue to get accustomed to the college lifestyle.
“I’m planning to work out probably two to three times a day,” he said.
Jovanovic attended Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance, Calif., but he is from Serbia, and his family still lives there.
“This is too short a break for going home,” he said. “I would waste literally three days just in traveling.”
Jovanovic was one of the pleasant surprises of the Hawai’i College Basketball Summer League, as he averaged 15.7 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
“During the Summer League, I was trying to use everything that I would use in the game for the University of Hawaii, and I think I didn’t play bad,” he said.
Although Jovanovic said he will continue to train during the current break, it is still a break, and there will be no classes or team practices.
“I will figure something out,” he said of his extended free time. “There is a lot of beaches here.”
Great attitude. Hard worker. Good student, great competitor. I believe Gib recruited a good post player, possibly contribute this year. Agains DHC, RC and Mizzou on the road, and NMSU, post players.
Welcome to Hawaii Stefan! Mahalo for becoming a Rainbow Warrior. Our family of UH MBB fans for years appreciate the effort you athletes put out on the court and in the classroom!
Hope you have a great freshman year!
Aloha and mahalo, thankyou.
Uhfanzonly1.
Welcome, Stefan
Sounds like a reasonable, level-headed young man; worldly for his age; not surprising when you consider he and his family had him move to Cali for improved opportunities and to build his game.
At the very least Stefan should provide inside depth with his willingness to back down to the basket (ex: versus face to the basket Davis) and go either way with both hands; Stefan and Caleb are potentially good challenger/intimidators around the rim and should be decent boarders with their good work ethic and both show some range. Since he already played a bunch of Cali HS ball, iʻd think heʻd also be comfortable with euro face-up ball to play more as a tall forward, like Christian and Davis, so adjustment to Big West ought to be comfortable for him. He moved up-court reasonably quick in summer league, although (who at 6-10 does?) i donʻt expect him to lead any breaks, he finished at the rim well…
Stefan, Mahalo for choosing Hawaiʻi; Hope this leads to great career, and life opportunities for you and family…
Welcome to Hawaii Stefan! Was pleasantly surprised at your soft touch around the basket and a decent mid-range shot. Most impressed with your ability to block shots and potential to be a defensive presence in the paint. Need to work hard in the weight room to get stronger, but with a good work ethic can develop into a very good post player for UHMBB.
Lots of mahalos to Dayton & staff for all your updates on UHMBB! Really enjoy your videos & stories – especially on the new recruits, redshirt players who will be playing this year, and the potential recruits (Evan Fitzner, Senegal 3, etc.). I believe that this year’s team with 2 excellent PGs in Keith & Quincy, improved outside shooting with Nevels, Spearman, Valdez, Jawato, Keith, Quincy, Hackman, solid inside players in Fotu & Stanhardinger, Hawaii’s offense will be very difficult for opponents to defend against (so many different options & a huge improvement in ball control – way less turnovers, especially with Keith as the floor general). Really believe that Valdez will have a huge impact this year. GO RAINBOW WARRIORS!
Is Javanovic ahead of Dressler?
Hey Jovan,
Welcome again to the Aloha State.
We are flattered that you’re enjoying your stay!
You are a very fortunate young man, who is in the right place at the right time >>
Hawaii has an excellent & complete program to develop all-in talented athletes exactly like you; You can be as good & accomplished as much as you allow yourself to.
Future is bright; Opportunities abound.
Make your parents, love-ones and Hawaii proud!?
Pump the iron in the weight room, seek out your strength coach Tommy Heffernan for some extra help, good luck ,work hard.
hon2255: I agree! The whole team has to get stronger. Work with strength coach. Even DOB Chris M. knows about strength and conditioning. From now, till start of Oct fall practices, Stefan can get bigger and stronger.
Another thing, these young guys have to eat well. I don’t know if they have training table like football team. However, the nutrition part is huge too in getting stronger.
Stefan, was coached well. If Coach Fish is working with the bigs, individual workouts in summer and start of Sept to Oct, he did a great job with Stefan. The moves, footwork, and agility, great. Stefan, if he were part of the old Rocha, Little or Wallace coached teams, would be an excellent Center, even more so now for Coach Gib, a very MATURE freshman, seems like he is approaching 20 yrs of age? Very mature.
Welcome to UH MBB team Stefan, beast it in the weight room, open gym, and in the classroom.
You will be alright!!
😀
Stefan, can score, as was mentioned back to basket, mid range jumper, shoot either hand, however, great additional assests: GOOD PASSER. Rebounder, and Defender. Agree with above posts, that will help UH MBB team this year, the low post Tall Big, who can block shots, alter shots and get the rebound, he displayed that several times in summer league. Stefan blocked the shot, not out of bounds, he soft blocked it and got the ball back. gave to guards and started they started the break up court, that is a REALLY good Post player, probably ahead of the game in true back to the basket POST offense and defense than Davis was.
However, shout out to Big D. We don’t know how Rozitis developed this summer. If he is 10 pounds of muscle stronger and heavier, shoot with either hand, DUNK the ball, block shots and rebound like an animal. The Three Bigs Dressler(I still like the guy, not most athletic, heady, smart post player with nice jump hook , rebounder, and Passer too.), Stefan, very advanced young post player.
All 3, are good ones, Gib can go small, medium, or large, in lineup, or any combination.
Hey UH MBB fans, POTENTIAL for very exciting year, if UH can play 40 min of D, Stop the Three!, and run, get early break, leak outs, and flush/lobs, slamma jammas, steals, defelections, 50/50 hustle ball , FT shooting as team all active roster 75% or better, and close out games. UH has chance to Dance.
I am personally really surprised at hall skilled for a young big Stefan is. He can learn about O and D of UH system from Fish, and Rozitis and Dressler.
Dang, about, a little over 8 weeks more fans!! Then first day of official practice!!
Too Bad Dayton, majority of guys went home, so we fans take a break, and you and WI insider too, thank you for your updates open gym and interviews.
Let us know if you have information when guys in school official, on any additional walkons!!
Mahalo Dayton Morinaga, a real UH MBB insider, the best!
UHMBB and the beaches!!
What more could a young guy need or want!
Good on you Stefan – enjoy!
Your pleasant – understated attitude will hold you in good stead.
Aussie Mum, We residents of Hawaii, some for a few years, many for all their lives, a lot of times take for granted, we live in moderate climate, sub tropical, it neither gets too cold, nor too hot. We could be affected by Pacific rim, natural disasters, however, we have been fortunate, not too many.
We all , in the Aloha State, take time to smell the hibiscus, plumeria, pikake, jasmine, tuberose flowers, look out at the 80 degree F, Pacific Ocean and say. Thank You.
Don’t know if Michael Harper, your son, is a beach boy, however, the beaches are great to run and train on, as well as swimming good for conditioning and developing the entire body mass.
Thanks for the simple reminder: We the people who reside in Hawaii, have to appreciate, life is not perfect here or anywhere around the world, however, very diverse, and any one from around the globe can find friends and a HOME!
Thanks again for Michael Harper, that wonderful Aussie lad, being a part of UH MBB team!
😀
We WILL See Soon Enough (First Round, First Indication Only…. It’s SO Early in their Long Careers)
Who’s Better Prepared to Help/Impact the Team….
I’m guessing Dressler and Jovanovic will be Most Weeks, their own Best Competition
and Continually Learn from Each Oth
and Continually Learn from Each Other and Coaches Gib & Fish…
and Never have to Feel Like they got to do it on their own
the way Vander might have felt he needed to shoulder the Load Himself…
Leapfrogging Each Other and
Most Weeks Schooling and Dominating,
even pounding, surrounding and overwhelming any other Big West “BIGS”…
Dressler “should” be Ahead IN System and Team Flow… and Maybe Shooting Range
(yet i would never count out a Euro-Player in a shooting contest)
but Jovanovic showed a lot of BB Smarts in the short Summer League season…
Nice ‘Problem’ to have, heh, Coaches?
ADD Fitzner and/or a 6-8/6-10 Senegalese or two to the Equation and Really tick off The Rest of The “Not-So-Big-West” ;-}
THEN We’ll Need to Find Our Own Better Competition…
Eagle: That is one thing that Gib has to address from outset when recruiting or offering to D1 transfers, freshman, preferred walkons, or JC elite. The all have potential to BE A PART of helping UH MBB program become something special over next several years.
Therefore, it is not Zane’s team, or Vander’s team, or Christian and Isaac’s team, it is the UNIVERSITY of Hawaii’s team. With an increased level, and we are not talking about 15 guys who are top 100 in USA/Canada, maybe top 1000 in the world, good athletes, students and citizens. Right Fit Team players.
That is what Gib got correct, hopefully, this year. 14-17 guys who want to be part of TEAM to win 20 plus games per year, and go NCAA’s , secondarly NIT’s. Young guys coming understand their role.
As added Bonus: If the guys are great basketball talents, high level euro pro leagues, or THE LEAGUE, hopefully , the NBA. The last one, AC Carter, was a team player, hard worker, good person, 13 year plus career!
Vander: Where is he now? He might get invited to NBA camps to free agent tryout, I think going on now or soon? He was one, who was the ONE…he had to do everything…too much for anyone to handle. Team really got muddled, when ball went to him, and we all know if guards, wings did not give him ball, ..well, we got the picture.
That is why Spearman, Shamburger, Nevels, Smith are so amped up, so excited for this year, along with Isaac Fotu, and company, (and definitely Next year with Negus) As a Team, they have more horses, to RUN. Should be FUN.
This new bunch hasn’t played one NCAA D1 game together yet, so we wait and see…however Eagle, I like the Potential!!
😀 No Man Stands Against An Army, It takes an Entire Army vs another Army, TEAM vs TEAM, if your athletes, are getting better, and better in UH System to win, as you say REFUSE to LOSE, Awesome!
Go Rainbow Warriors!!
😀
After seeing some of his summer league highlights, Stefan has a very nice skill set. He’s good with both hands and has a couple different post moves. He’s also pretty aggressive when he’s got the open lane to the rim. I love to see big men want to throw it down whenever they can.
Stefan has the potential to develop into a very good center. His game is a little like Vander’s but Stefan is far more advanced at this point of his UH career than Vander was when he first put on the green and white.
Stefan and Caleb along with Davis, Isaac and Christian will get at least one Big West ‘Bigs’ Challenge
from the Anteaters of UC-Irvine @ 6-8 (Defensive POY), 6-10, 6-10, 7-0, 7-2 and 7-5…