Bogavac Talks Comfortability Amid Recent UNC Stretch

North Carolina forward Luka Bogavac continues to play significantly better of late, getting much more comfortable in his new role.

After starting the season by scoring in double-digits in eight of his first nine games, Bogavac slipped into a deep funk that caused him to fall out of favor in Hubert Davis’ rotation.

After that hot start, Bogavac scored in double-figures just once in the following six games, including two scoreless outings, and two outings with just two points. Bogavac’s efficiency also declined significantly as well, causing him to be moved out of the starting lineup, and to the bench to run the second unit.

Now adapting to a new role, Bogavac has been much better off the bench, scoring in double figures in 4 of his last 6 games, including in each of his last 3 appearances. He has also knocked down 7 of his last 13 three-point attempts as a sort of spark-plug shooter for the Tar Heels.

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) on the fast break in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bogavac’s thoughts

In his latest outing, he put up 10 points on 4-6 shooting from the field and 1-1 from downtown in a 87-77 win over Syracuse. After the game, he talked about his level of comfortability recently, and how he hasn’t changed anything with his routine despite his uptick in production.

“I just practice the same way I practiced before, nothing's changed for my approach,” Bogavac said. “I try to be 100 percent every day, so nothing really changed for my approach until now.”

“I feel like the guys, they believe more in myself,” he added. “Also in practice I feel more involved with the group.”

Jan 17, 2026; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (center right) dribbles against California Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames (center left) during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

On the season, Bogavac is now averaging over 10 points per game, while raising his field goal percentage to 40 percent, and his three-point percentage to 32 percent. It is still a far drop from where he was at the beginning of the season, but nonetheless, it’s a step in the right direction.

On a team led by stars such as Caleb Wilson, Henri Veesaar, and Seth Trimble, Bogavac figuring it out could become a huge development, and provide UNC with some much-needed depth in their second unit.

Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Luka Bogavac (44) with the ball as Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Sir Mohammed (13) and forward Matthew MacLellan (34) defend in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The #14-ranked Tar Heels have plenty of challenging ACC matchups waiting on the schedule, including games against Duke, Miami, Clemson, and NC State. If Bogavac can continue to provide the production he’s given the Tar Heels of late, they’ll become a much more dangerous team in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

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