Nikola Popović (basketball)

Nikola Popović (Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Поповић; born 19 July 1997), also known as Nik Popovic,[1][2] is a Serbian professional basketball player for FMP of the Adriatic League and the Basketball League of Serbia, on loan from Crvena zvezda. He played college basketball for the Boston College Eagles.

Nikola Popović
Popović with Boston College in 2017
FMP
PositionPower forward / Center
LeagueAdriatic League
Basketball League of Serbia
Personal information
Born (1997-07-19) 19 July 1997
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
NationalitySerbian
Listed height2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)
Listed weight115 kg (254 lb)
Career information
High schoolSagemont School
(Weston, Florida)
CollegeBoston College (2016–2020)
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–presentCrvena zvezda
2020–present→FMP
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Serbia
FIBA Under-17 World Championship
2014 UAETeam

Early career

Popović was born in Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was a member of the Crvena zvezda under-18 team that lost to Real Madrid in the 2014–15 Euroleague Next Generation Tournament Final.[3] Over four games in the final tournament, he averaged 5.8 points and five rebounds per game.[4]

High school career

Popović began playing high school basketball in 2015 with the Sagemont School in Weston, Florida.[5] In his senior year, he averaged 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game, earning him All-County First Team honors.[6]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Nik Popovic
PF		 Weston, FL The Sagemont School 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Oct 10, 2015 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2015 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    College career

    Popović posted 6.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game as a freshman.[7] As a sophomore, Popović averaged 9.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, starting 33 games. He had 20 points against Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament.[8] Popović averaged 14.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a junior at Boston College. As a senior, Popović averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. His season was marred by a back injury that forced him to miss a substantial number of games. Popović had a season-high 23 points in a 100–85 loss to Belmont.[9]

    Professional career

    On 7 June 2020, Popović signed a four-year professional contract with Crvena zvezda. On the same day, he was loaned out to FMP for the 2020–21 season.[10][11]

    National team career

    Popović was a member of the Serbian under-17 team that won the bronze medal at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Over six tournament games, he averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game.[12] Also, he was a member of the Serbian under-18 team that finished 5th at the 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in Volos, Greece. Over nine tournament games, he averaged 5.6 points, four rebounds, and one assist per game.[13]

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    References
    1. "Nik Popovic Out Indefinitely With Back Injury". si.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    2. "Boston College Men's Basketball Update: Nik Popovic Out Indefinitely with Back Spasms". bcinterruption.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    3. "U18 Real Madrid 73 U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade 70". adidasngt.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    4. "POPOVIC, NIKOLA - 16 Forward". eurocupbasketball.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    5. "Nikola Popović Banjalučanin na putu ka NBA ligi". banjaluka.com. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
    6. "21 Nik Popovic at bceagles.com". bceagles.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    7. Sullivan, Michael (November 6, 2017). "Playing It Cool: Nik Popovic has moved past last season's mental blowups, and is finally having fun playing basketball". The Heights. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
    8. "Nic Popovic a big asset for Boston College basketball". Boston Herald. November 6, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
    9. Black, A.J. (7 June 2020). "Former BC Center Nik Popovic Signs Contract in Serbia". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    10. "Zvezda vratila svog đaka iz Amerike: "Kupujemo domaće!"". mondo.rs. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    11. "Zvanično: Popović se iz Bostona vratio u Zvezdu". sportklub.rs. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    12. "2014 Serbia #11 - Nikola Popovic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
    13. "2015 Serbia #11 - Nikola Popovic". archive.fiba.com. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
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