Ivan Radenović
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ivan Radenović (born June 10, 1984) is a Serbian basketball player currently wearing the #55 jersey for the Arizona Wildcats basketball team.
Radenović was born in Belgrade, Serbia, in the former Yugoslavia, and began playing basketball in the junior teams for KK Partizan. His talent came to prominence during the 2002 Albert Schweitzer Games in Germany where he played for a Serbian youth team, averaging 7.4 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the floor.
Mid-way through the season 2003-2004 Ivan joined the Arizona Wildcats and legendary coach Lute Olson, where he had one of the most successful debuts in Wildcats' history, scoring 17 points against Liberty on December 28, 2003[1]. That very same season Radenović earned Honorable Mention Pac 10 All Freshman honors. He was a great addition to the Wildcats' team that needed a help in the big man position. However, during that season his lack of weight and his adoption to the new American culture were the causes for his variable game performances. That season Radenović averaged 5.8 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game, shooting 25.7% from the 3 point line, 39.7% in field goals, and 76.7% from the fre throw line [2].
During the season 2004-2005 Radenović had his game improved a lot. He was a key man on a Arizona Wildcats' basketball team that unhappily lost to the Illinois Fighting Illini in the Ellite Eight game. During the season Radenović averaged 8.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, posting four double doubles and six double figure rebounding games[3]. A notable performance was his PAC 10 game at UCLA where he scored 19 points and had 12 rebounds[4]. The same season Radenović was voted most improved player by his teammates [5] .
In the 2005-2006 season Radenović was a key player in a Arizona Wildcats' college team plauged by off-court problems. He was named the team's co-MVP by his teammates. The same season he averaged 12.5 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, and scored team-leading four double-doubles during the season.
His senior season 2006-2007 should be his break-through year as Radenović is a leader on a team filled with talent. He leads his team both in scoring and in rebounding[6], and along with PG Mustafa Shakur he is the most experienced man in a team that is lead by Hall of Famer Lute Olson.
[edit] External links
- Ivan Radenovic biography – Arizona Wildcats Official Site