7'2" Center BIG NIK visiting USF

[Vega]

Nikola Scekic‏ @scekic1995

 

 

 

Good time on my visit to South Florida University. #USF

 

 

[Vega]

http://zsmart.blogspot.com/2017/03/big-nik-beginning-to-realize-high-major.html?m=1

 

Just a few years of sustained devotion and relentlessness has the tendency to make a tremendous difference. Such is the case with bruising 7-foot-2, 245-pound Center Nikola Scekic.


Currently at Hutchinson Community College, the once-raw big has grown rapidly this past year while assimilating to the augmented physicality of the American game.


It's no secret and surely make no mistake about it, there is a certain stereotype associated with sky-scraping, Europe-bred bigs of Scekic's type.

They have a tendency to be classified as fundamentally sound and skill-centric bigs who can shoot the rock effectively and dish the ball with a higher IQ than most.

 Yet the primary, oft-mentioned flaws affiliated with European bigs are so obvious the words and descriptions nearly fall off the page: Soft. Unathletic. Lacking the same mental moxie as an interior banger here in the states.


Right....


Yes, when Scekic arrived at West Oaks Academy in Florida, his body and his ability to play aggressively and attack the rim ferociously needed some tweaking.

 Yes, he was nowhere near a finished product.

Working consistently with coach Chris Chaney, the seasoned coach with the most wins of any prep coach his age (see Chaney's teams at Laurinburg Prep and The Patterson School in North Carolina for more information), West Oaks was able to cultivate a post presence and toughness in the kid they call "Big Nik."


"He always had huge upside," said Chaney, who is currently grooming underrated talent such as Jalen Jordan at National Top Sports Institute in Scotland, PA.


"Nikola's elite passing skills and shooting ability for his size always stood out. And just think, he's not even close to reaching his potential yet."


While Chaney's words have proved prophetic at critical moments these past years, Scekic has improved exponentially with his strength and utilizing his size like a true big.

Now at the aforementioned weight of 245 pounds, Skekic is dunking everything he sees. His adeptness around the rim has rendered him a high percentage threat.

This is underscored by a recent 12-point performance on 6-for-7 shooting the other night.

As a significant role player on a reputable JUCO program, Scekic has become cognizant of just how important basketball will be for his future.


You won't recognize him as the same player he was at West Oaks.

Now he's laced with an insatiable hunger for the game few could have ever envisioned for him.

 He's a high-intensity and no frills guy, with a knack for authoritative finishes. No longer a shy kid adapting to the American life, he will have a boisterous eruption following a big bucket.


"He has completely transformed as far as how much he wants out of this basketball life," said Nikola Cicic, the former Arkansas Little Rock guard and fellow countryman who has been instrumental in propelling "Big Nik's" development.


"You have a kid now who has tuned up his body to the point where he is rock solid and is a daunting task for bigs to go up against."

Cicic continued "He's adjusted his game defensively and developed a higher IQ and it's a testament to the work he's put in and how bad he's realized 'this is for me. This game is going to take me far in life.' The kid is an absolute workhorse and developing this mentality has worked wonders for him."

A brief stay at New Mexico did not work out for the behemoth. Some of the factors at UNM were beyond his control, others were not.

Yet as he's proven in several recent performances (12 points in 23 minutes during a 95-78 drubbing of St. Petersburg College, 14 points on 6-for-8 shooting in 18 minutes against Hesston College, 14 points on 7-for-8 shooting in a 104-66 slaying of Dodge City Community College), it's clear the promise is there.

Iona, TCU, FAU, Evansville, Wagner, and Creighton (among others) are beginning to take aggressive pursuit.
 

zach smart‏ @zsmart3 Apr 6

Hutchinson's 7-2, 245-lb C Nikola Scekic to visit South Florida and then St. John's.

[NCBull]

Interesting.  And I think we maybe have a scholly open...just maybe.

[Vega]

zach smart‏ @zsmart3

Ohio no longer in the mix for Nikola Scekic. 7-2 C out of Hutchinson CC down to South Florida and St. John's. Heads to NYC tonight 4 visit

 

Apparently his people are trying to guide him to play in the media capital of the world and bright lights.  Lol...somebody needs to remind the guy that SJU is an after thought in NYC. Its all the professional teams that get all the coverage.

[Mama_Bull]

1. 

    

   Plenty of SJU fans begging him on his twitter page.

    

   https://twitter.com/scekic1995

    

   He seems pretty level headed.

    

    

    

    

[Mama_Bull]

Nice to see him still retweeting about new USF commits,

Nikola Scekic Retweeted

Jon Rothstein‏Verified account @JonRothstein  2h2 hours ago

 

 

Penn State grad transfer Payton Banks tells me he's committed to South Florida. Immediately eligible.

[Vega]

40 minutes ago, Mama_Bull said:

Nice to see him still retweeting about new USF commits,

Nikola Scekic Retweeted

Jon Rothstein‏Verified account @JonRothstein  2h2 hours ago

 

 

Penn State grad transfer Payton Banks tells me he's committed to South Florida. Immediately eligible.

Yeah it was said somewhere that some in his camp wants him at St John's but he hasn't committed to them as of yet. I think that he is very interested in playing for Coach Gregory and chilling in Tampa. Like you said he seems to be very level headed. Would love to add this guy to our ever upgrading roster.

[Mama_Bull]

Nikola Scekic‏ @scekic1995  4h4 hours ago

 

Decision coming soon.. #NextLevel 

[TarHeel_Bull]

How many years of eligibility would he have left?

[Mama_Bull]

35 minutes ago, Viking_Bull said:

How many years of eligibility would he have left?

I believe, technically, he has three years to play two.