As season opens, UNC basketball gets a valuable addition in Luka Bogavac

Chapel Hill

North Carolina basketball guard Luka Bogavac was finally cleared by UNC, allowing the 22-year-old Montenegro native to make his Tar Heels debut in Monday night’s season opener against Central Arkansas.

A university spokesperson confirmed before tipoff that Bogavac, who had previously been cleared by the NCAA but was awaiting final institutional approval, was eligible to play Monday night.

Bogavac entered the game with 16:12 to play in the first half, the first reserve player off the bench for the Tar Heels.

The 6-foot-6 junior guard, who joined the Tar Heels in August after several years playing professional hoops overseas, is expected to play a key role on a UNC team that underwent a major offseason overhaul.

“He’s older, more experienced, and his personality is, just, he’s a competitor,” head coach Hubert Davis said at ACC Tipoff. “Whether it’s just a pick-up game or we’re scrimmaging or just an individual drill. He’s someone that competes on every possession.”

Bogavac’s situation has been closely watched by fans and teammates alike, given how central he figures to be in UNC’s rotation once ruled eligible. The wing brings extensive international experience and polished offensive skills to a retooled Tar Heel roster featuring 11 newcomers.

Bogavac spent the past two seasons with SC Derby Podgorica in the AdmiralBet ABA League, part of the Adriatic Basketball Association. In 2024-25, he averaged 14.9 points per game and shot nearly 40% from three.

“He does a number of different things out there on the floor,” Davis said at ACC Tipoff. “I mentioned him in regards to positional size… he’s a guy, from an offensive standpoint, that can make plays with the ball in his hands, whether coming off ball screens, [dribble handoffs], different stuff like that.”

Born in Mojkovac, Montenegro, Bogavac comes from a basketball family. His father, Nebojša, played 13 years professionally and now coaches in Montenegro. Luka attended high school in Belgrade, Serbia, before launching his own pro career in 2021.

Since arriving in Chapel Hill on Aug. 13, Bogavac has impressed teammates with both his maturity and his shooting ability. During UNC’s intrasquad Blue-White Scrimmage in early October, he led all scorers (unofficially) with 14 points and four made threes — a glimpse of how his shooting could transform a team that struggled from the perimeter last season.

Davis has described Bogavac as effective coming off screens — whether it’s flares or staggers or wide pins — and praised his poise.

UNC tips off against Central Arkansas at 7 p.m. on ACC Network.

This story was originally published November 3, 2025 at 6:43 PM.