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Gavrilovic is an inside-outside player who is also an excellent passer. |
New University of Dayton men’s basketball coach Archie Miller has landed his first recruit. Miller has announced that Alex Gavrilovic has signed with the Flyers. Gavrilovic had announced his intentions on May 12, but it could not be announced by the University until after he signed his financial aid agreement.
"We are very excited to add Alex to our basketball program,” Miller said. “His skill set is really good and he has a really high IQ for the game. He's a high character kid, who will fit really well in our University's community."
Gavrilovic is a 6-9, 230-pound power forward from Strasbourg, France. He committed to Providence to be part of its 2010 recruiting class, but was unable to play there due to complications in transferring his French scholastic credits. Because of this, he is considered an international transfer and has four years to complete his four years of eligibility. He will turn 20 in November.
He sat out the 2010-11 season and worked with Dan Barto at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, to improve his basketball skills while taking academic coursework to insure his eligibility.
Barto, the head trainer at IMG, has high praise for Gavrilovic. “Alex is a true inside-out player who can play comfortably with his back to the basket and can shoot consistently beyond the college three-point line. He had the opportunity to play professional basketball overseas, but because of his upbringing he has displayed a desire to compete in college basketball and gain a top-notch education at the same time. This is a good get for Dayton.”
Even though he did not play this winter in the United States, he won a gold medal in 2010 at the European championships in Zadar, Croatia with the French U-20 National Basketball Team and worked out against pros who train at IMG. At IMG in 2009-10, he played 67 games against some of the best prep school and junior college competition in the country. IMG Academy has had more than 55 players earn Division I scholarships since 2001.
UD returns three starters from last year’s 22-14 team that reached the championship game of the Atlantic 10 tournament. The Flyers reached the post-season for the fourth consecutive season, playing in the NIT.