Olney Central big man headed to A-10

The commitments are starting to come in from junior college players across the country. JucoJunction.com learned early Monday morning that St. Bonaventure's was the latest school to get a verbal commitment. Olney Central (IL) College center Ivan Kovacevic gave his word to the Bonnies.

"That is right," said Olney head coach Mike Burris. "He visited there over the weekend."

"He loved the campus. I've never been there, but he was really impressed, he loved that small town kind of a feel. The coaches at St. Bonaventure did a really good job staying on him and recruiting him and they did a great job selling the program to him while he was out there."

St. Bonaventure's gets a rare commodity in college hoops these days: a true center.

"They're getting a blue-collar guy," said Burris. "He was a guy we probably should have gotten the ball to a little bit more; he only averaged about four shots a game for us. He can rebound, he can defend. He's a tough guy. He' not your typical European player, messing around out there on the perimeter. He'll be perfect fit for what they're trying to do."

The Atlantic 10 school was on Kovacevic the longest, and according to Burris, that really helped out in the end.

"All the MAC schools were calling here in the last week or two and they really wanted to come out here and see him," said the coach. "But (St. Bonaventure's) really did a good job of staying on him."

Recruiters will want to keep an eye on Olney Central next season as well. Freshman Marcus McCants committed to Wisconsin-Milwaukee out of high school. His older brother, Ed, was the leading scorer for a Milwaukee team that made the Sweet 16 this season.

"With Milwaukee, with that whole staff leaving, I'm not sure what's going to happen," Burris said. "They put him here and they wanted him back, but now I'm not sure what's going to happen. It could open back up."

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