University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Savo Drezgic
December 17, 2024 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Georgia men's basketball freshman Savo Drezgic arrived in Athens having already played in plenty of big games in interesting places this year. He's hoping a lot more are in his future.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Belgrade, Serbia, helped lead the Serbian squad to a silver medal at the 2024 FIBA U18 European Championships in Finland, averaging 20.4 points and 5.6 assists and rebounds a game. Drezgic also played for Serbian club Partizan in his hometown, as well as playing for DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla., while finishing high school.
Drezgic's teams have already played in places like Finland, Germany and North Macedonia in the past few years, as well as spots all around Florida, California and Arizona. Soon, he'll get to visit places like Oxford, Miss., Fayetteville, Ark., Auburn, Ala. One place in the U.S. he's eager to visit one day is New York, particularly in winter.
During a recent Quick Chat, Drezgic talked about his admiration for former Yugoslav and Croatian (and NBA) player Dražen Petrović (who died in a car accident in 1993, at age 28), the Serbian food he misses back home, his best moment on a basketball court, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What has the adjustment to college been like? Between basketball, school and social life, I'd guess it's a lot of new stuff for you.
Drezgic: It's been nice. It's a nice experience and it's definitely different, but I like it. I've learned a lot of stuff by being here.
Frierson: When did you get started playing basketball? Did you play a lot of sports when you were younger?
Drezgic: I started when I was 5, back in my hometown, Belgrade. I just played basketball, but I like football (soccer) and tennis.
Frierson: When did you realize that you had a chance to play at a really high level?
Drezgic: It was early. I saw that I was better than a lot of the players my age.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Drezgic: [Smiles] Yes, it was late. I was 15 or 16 when I finally did it in a practice.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite moment from your basketball career? Is there one that stands out?
Drezgic: I have a few favorite moments, but one that I maybe like the most is my first game with Partizan. I was 16 (years old) playing in front of 20,000 people. It was really amazing — and I also scored 2 points. I was nervous because I was the youngest player to ever play for Partizan.
Frierson: When you think of home, what comes to mind?
Drezgic: My family, of course, and the food. The food is, in my opinion, way better back home in Serbia.
Frierson: Is there one Serbian dish that you wish you could eat here?
Drezgic: I would say every dish that my mom makes. I miss my mom's food. We have a lot of traditional food, like ćevapi, sarma and börek. [You can read more about these dishes here: https://www.inyourpocket.com/belgrade/serbian-food-top-12-must-try-serbian-dishes_75250f.]
The food here is different. I'm trying to eat as much healthy food as I can, and to be honest, I like European food way more — like Greek food or Serbian food.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite player that you look up to or try to play like?
Drezgic: Dražen Petrović, he was my idol because he was practicing so much. I was trying to practice as much as him. I even met his mom which was an amazing experience.
Frierson: What is it like for you to watch the NBA now and see so many great international players, including the best player in the world in Serbian Nikola Jokic?
Drezgic: I'm really happy that we have some guys from the Balkans, from Europe, and it's really amazing to have the best player in the world from Serbia — and Serbia's a small country. It is really amazing.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Drezgic: It's De'Shayne (Montgomery). It's just the way he talks, it's so funny. And he's loud, always loud. I like him a lot.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Georgia men's basketball freshman Savo Drezgic arrived in Athens having already played in plenty of big games in interesting places this year. He's hoping a lot more are in his future.
The 6-foot-4 guard from Belgrade, Serbia, helped lead the Serbian squad to a silver medal at the 2024 FIBA U18 European Championships in Finland, averaging 20.4 points and 5.6 assists and rebounds a game. Drezgic also played for Serbian club Partizan in his hometown, as well as playing for DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla., while finishing high school.
Drezgic's teams have already played in places like Finland, Germany and North Macedonia in the past few years, as well as spots all around Florida, California and Arizona. Soon, he'll get to visit places like Oxford, Miss., Fayetteville, Ark., Auburn, Ala. One place in the U.S. he's eager to visit one day is New York, particularly in winter.
During a recent Quick Chat, Drezgic talked about his admiration for former Yugoslav and Croatian (and NBA) player Dražen Petrović (who died in a car accident in 1993, at age 28), the Serbian food he misses back home, his best moment on a basketball court, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What has the adjustment to college been like? Between basketball, school and social life, I'd guess it's a lot of new stuff for you.
Drezgic: It's been nice. It's a nice experience and it's definitely different, but I like it. I've learned a lot of stuff by being here.
Frierson: When did you get started playing basketball? Did you play a lot of sports when you were younger?
Drezgic: I started when I was 5, back in my hometown, Belgrade. I just played basketball, but I like football (soccer) and tennis.
Frierson: When did you realize that you had a chance to play at a really high level?
Drezgic: It was early. I saw that I was better than a lot of the players my age.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Drezgic: [Smiles] Yes, it was late. I was 15 or 16 when I finally did it in a practice.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite moment from your basketball career? Is there one that stands out?
Drezgic: I have a few favorite moments, but one that I maybe like the most is my first game with Partizan. I was 16 (years old) playing in front of 20,000 people. It was really amazing — and I also scored 2 points. I was nervous because I was the youngest player to ever play for Partizan.
Frierson: When you think of home, what comes to mind?
Drezgic: My family, of course, and the food. The food is, in my opinion, way better back home in Serbia.
Frierson: Is there one Serbian dish that you wish you could eat here?
Drezgic: I would say every dish that my mom makes. I miss my mom's food. We have a lot of traditional food, like ćevapi, sarma and börek. [You can read more about these dishes here: https://www.inyourpocket.com/belgrade/serbian-food-top-12-must-try-serbian-dishes_75250f.]
The food here is different. I'm trying to eat as much healthy food as I can, and to be honest, I like European food way more — like Greek food or Serbian food.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite player that you look up to or try to play like?
Drezgic: Dražen Petrović, he was my idol because he was practicing so much. I was trying to practice as much as him. I even met his mom which was an amazing experience.
Frierson: What is it like for you to watch the NBA now and see so many great international players, including the best player in the world in Serbian Nikola Jokic?
Drezgic: I'm really happy that we have some guys from the Balkans, from Europe, and it's really amazing to have the best player in the world from Serbia — and Serbia's a small country. It is really amazing.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Drezgic: It's De'Shayne (Montgomery). It's just the way he talks, it's so funny. And he's loud, always loud. I like him a lot.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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