After originally stating that he would return to North Carolina, guard Luka Bogavac has instead decided to enter the transfer portal after all. The decision came weeks after he originally announced that he would return to play for the Tar Heels, in the midst of the rest of the roster entering the transfer portal.
Last season, Bogavac averaged 9.8 points per game in 33 games played and was expected to be a developmental piece that North Carolina would strengthen in the off-season in order to be able to improve the depth of the team.
Bogavac had been an integral part of the team in the beginning half of the season, starting in a large stretch of games all the way until early January, where he played off the bench until the last portion of the season when he filled in for some key injuries on the team. He ended up starting in 8 of the last 9 games of the season.
While other teammates such as Derek Dixon, Isaiah Denis, Jonathan Powell and Kyan Evans all entered the transfer portal, Bogavac announced that he would remain a Tar Heel and return. A true testament of loyalty to the program, or so we thought.
Did Luka See The Writing on The Wall?
In the midst of the transfer portal madness, Bogavac has changed his mind. With this news we can’t help but speculate what it was that ultimately led him to entering the portal instead of a return to Chapel Hill. What this may likely mean is that Luka may have seen how aggressively Michael Malone and his coaching staff have been at getting guards from the portal.
In the past week, many guards have been in contact with Malone, including Juke Harris, Terrance Brown, Isiah Harwell, and Karter Knox to name a few. This could have potentially sent Luka the message that his playing time could be in jeopardy, and the move would have been wiser for him to search his outside options.
Is A Return Possible?
Jaydon Young also elected to return to the Tar Heels after initially entering his name in the transfer portal. It’s possible Luka is just taking a look at his options like Young did, and could still end up returning to play for North Carolina.
Of course, this is all speculation, and the real reason Bogavac entered the portal may never be publicly revealed. For now, we can wish him well on his outside journey, and should a return to Carolina happen, is to be determined.
