'Sky is the limit' for Spartans' Dragicevich

July 13, 2008
BY SCOTT POWERS

  As he runs the court, handling the ball and flinging passes all over the place, Glenbrook North's Alex Dragicevich is returned to his basketball roots.

It was back in the day, well before he sprouted and started dwarfing guards, Dragicevich used to run the point. He’d pick up assists like a vacuum.

At Reebok’s Proving Grounds camp earlier in the week, Glenbrook North’s Dragicevich went back to those junior high days. But while the rising junior was having a ball dribbling and dishing, scouts and college coaches were taking notice that it was a 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard who was doing all this. Plus, the fact they already knew he can shoot and continues to build muscle, well …

“The sky is the limit for him,” said Illinois Prep Bulls-eye’s Harv Schmidt. “If he can handle the ball and play three different positions as I’ve seen him do today, high-majors will be recruiting him. I wouldn’t be surprised if by the end of the summer if he was getting high-major interest. He was the best player here today.”

Illinois Wolves coach Mike Mullins is already hearing from the high-majors about Dragicevich. Virginia, West Virginia and Providence have been in touch.

With the July period just starting, Mullins expects that number to only rise. At the end of the month, Dragicevich will also play up with the Wolves’ 17-and-under team.

“He’s a high-major player,” Mullins said. “He’s going to be recruited all over the country. Obviously, size, strength and skill are coveted at the high-major level. He’s going to have a busy July.”

Dragicevich’s size is one thing that looks to finally be slowing down. He was a 5-10 eighth grader, a 6-3 freshman, a 6-4 sophomore and now he’s around 6-6.

The growth along with Dragicevich being a gym rat caught up to him last month. After playing April and May with the Wolves, he shut himself down for a few weeks in June as he started experiencing tendonitis in knees.

“I play a lot of basketball and haven’t really taken care of my body,” he said. “I used to not have to. I do now.”

With his return to the court, he has been dabbling more and more with the point guard role. His handles aren’t exactly going to wow anyone just yet, but he held more than his own against the competition at Reebok’s camp. Often, he’d rebound the ball, quickly dribble up he court and hit a streaking teammate for a basket. And after a while, he wasn’t even looking to score.

He was working on a triple-double almost every time he stepped on the floor.

“I’m having more fun when I’m passing than when I’m scoring,” he said. “I feel like I’m making everyone better.”

Of course being from Glenbrook North, having size, an ability to shoot and see the floor, Dragicevich can’t hide from comparisons from a former Spartan who is doing the same now at Duke. It’s a comparison that Dragicevich is flattered by, but realizes the truth.

“You get that,” said Dragicevich, who was an eighth grader when Scheyer was a high school senior.

“People always ask me if I think I’m better than Jon, and that’s not fair. Jon did things you’ll never see again from a high school player.”

Mullins believes a better match may be Florida Gators 6-6 guard Nick Calathes.

“Now he’s a 6-6 point guard, lanky, you don’t think he’s going to do much,” Mullins said. “You look at the end of the day and he’s been beating you up and down the floor and filling the box score up.”