Ivan walks on, tall

Last June, just prior to graduating from Laguna Beach High, Ivan Kovacevic said he wanted to play college basketball.

He would be attending Cal Berkeley in the fall, he said, but the just-named Pacific Coast League male athlete of the year for 2004-05, also a stellar student, wouldn’t be going to the Bay Area school to play basketball.

“Walking on to the basketball team at Cal has become really appealing to me, and it’s definitely something I’ll try to do,” he had said. “Volleyball also holds my interest and if basketball doesn’t work out, then I’ll try out for a club volleyball team there.”

But basketball did work out, as Kovacevic successfully walked on to the Cal men’s basketball team.

He was the only walk-on added to the 2005-06 Golden Bears roster, which bears four walk-on players, overall.

Kovacevic, 18, returned to the southland this week as Cal took on USC Thursday in the opening round of the Pac-10 men’s basketball tournament at Staples Center.

A victory over the Trojans would put Cal into today’s semifinal round. The tournament final is Saturday.

The winner of the tournament receives the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, which begins March 16.

Cal finished third during the regular season in Pac-10 play, behind champion UCLA and second-place Washington.

“It’s been an exciting year and I’m excited to be going to the Staples Center,” he said. “It’s been a great first year of college for me, that’s for sure.”

Kovacevic, a 6-foot-6 forward, averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds during his senior year at Laguna. He was named co-MVP of the Pacific Coast League and earned all-CIF honors for the second-straight year. He also played volleyball at the school for the first time and was first on the team in blocks and second in kills.

He was a big fish in the basketball program at a small school such as Laguna. Now, he’s trying to navigate his was at big-time Cal.

Through then-Laguna athletic director Ron Schwartz, Kovacevic said he was able to send out game tape to Cal. He tried out for the Golden Bears in October, and went on to earn a spot on the Cal roster.

Playing time this year has been brief for Kovaecvic. He has played a total of seven minutes in eight game appearances, has made two of four field goal attempts ? good for four points ? and has four rebounds, three off the offensive glass.

He’s made road trips with the team to Eastern Michigan, the Arizona and Oregon schools in Pac-10 play, and to arch-rival Stanford.

“I was the go-to guy in high school, now, it’s about sacrifice and the experience of playing college basketball,” he said. “In the back of my head, I miss high school basketball a lot. But how many people get the chance to play with future NBA players? And, now, I’m part of a team that plays in front of 10-, 12,000 people a game. It’s really exciting.”

Although Kovacevic has seen limited playing time, his addition to the Cal program has left an impression on Golden Bears head coach Ben Braun.

“Ivan brings a very strong work ethic, along with a very silent toughness, to our ball club,” Braun said. “He never takes a day off and doesn’t back down from anyone.”

During many of the Golden Bears practice sessions, Kovacevic’s main assignment is guarding Leon Powe.

Powe, a 6-8 sophomore forward and standout player on the team, was named first-team All-Pacific-10 Conference this week.

“Many times he does so without the double- and triple-teams that our opponents deploy in games,” Braun said of Kovacevic’s coverage of Powe. “Ivan is a great teammate and never complains. He is a tireless worker and liked and respected by all his teammates. He is a straight-A student and an outstanding example of what it means to be a student-athlete at Cal.”

Kovacevic, who is undeclared but is leaning toward majoring in economics or business administration, said his experience playing college ball has left him wanting more.

“I plan on playing again next year,” he said. “This experienced has definitely structured my day-to-day routine and has helped me grow and gain independence in college.

“And with it, I’m experiencing something new every day. The travel, we just had senior night and next, the Pac-10 tournament. It’s been a rewarding experience.”cpt.10-spplayer-1-CPhotoInfoJ91OP6D320060310ivu649kn(LA)California Golden Bear Ivan Kovacevic, a former Laguna Beach High School basketball star who is now a walk-on at Cal.cpt.10-spplayer-2-CPhotoInfoJ91OP6D520060310ivu650knCal Media Relations(LA)Ivan Kovacevic