Topalovic Talks Runnin' Utes Commitment
The Runnin’ Utes got a big boost this past week when 7-footer Novak Topalovic committed to play for Utah in his final season of college eligibility. Originally from Serbia, Topalovic spent the first four years of his collegiate career, including a redshirt season, at Idaho State. In his last two seasons as a Bengal, Topalovic averaged over 10 points and six rebounds per game, and his addition will be key in taking some of the load off of Jayce Johnson’s shoulders, at the center position.
After a successful career at Idaho State, Topalovic wanted to challenge himself more, with a shot to show what he could do under brighter lights. Having already graduated before his five year clock ran out, he decided to become a graduate transfer and immediately received interest from as many as 25 schools. Despite all of his options, it didn’t take him long to narrow his choices down to two.
“I just wanted to go to a bigger stage, bigger exposure,” Topalovic explained. “I narrowed it down to Santa Clara and the University of Utah. I had a lot of schools pulling and all that, but I kind of narrowed it down after two and a half weeks, probably.”
After checking out his top schools, Topalovic made the call and committed to spend his last year of college basketball playing for the Runnin’ Utes. Despites some ties to Santa Clara, ultimately it was Utah’s coaching staff, culture, and the Pac-12 that won Topalovic over.
“I really liked the coaching staff, I like the culture they have,” Novak said. “I really like what they stand for and I love the league that they play in. I really like Coach [Krystkoviak] and I spoke a lot with Coach Hill. Coach K is a big man himself, so we obviously connected in a way there. I also like the style of play, the system he runs at the University of Utah, and the way he utilizes their big men. He’s got a great track record of developing big men. When they come in, they’re not a pro, but by the time they leave, he makes them into one. Again, it really helps that he’s a big man himself.”
Although the expectation with any graduate transfer player is that they’ll contribute from day one, Topalovic understands that nothing will be handed to him, and that he’ll have to work to carve out a role for himself. With that kind of attitude and his prior experience, don’t be shocked if the big man ends up being one of the team’s leaders, next season.
“Nobody can promise you anything at this level,” Topalovic said. “The only thing I was promised was the chance to compete, and have an equal opportunity to prove myself. With that being said, they possibly see me as being an impact player, and I would also have a role in leadership, because I’ve already played three years in college. I’ve been in college for four, this is going to be my fifth year, and they have a lot of freshmen coming in, so I would say I could have a leadership role as well.”
Vocal leadership and chemistry with the team are very important, of course, but Topalovic is no slouch on the court, either. At Idaho State, he was a physical post presence, and brings some valuable toughness to a team, something that Coach Krystkowiak will no doubt love. For next year’s young Utah team, having an extra big man that can back down opponents under the basket and play physical defense will be one of the keys to having success, and those are two things which Topalovic can do.
“I would say that I’m a very confident post player,” he said. “I can run the floor pretty well, I can move around pretty well for a seven footer. I would say my rebounding, my offensive rebounding, is not bad, 1.8 a game, which is not bad. I bring toughness as well, I’m a pretty physical player.”
There are still a few months before Novak enrolls at Utah and joins his new team, and he has no plans to take things easy. He’s doing what he can in the meantime to become a more complete player. His post game is already good, but he knows that if he can add a jump shot to his repertoire, it will make life that much more difficult for teams trying to defend him.
”I’m currently just getting into the gym and getting lots of shots up,” Topalovic said. “That’s something I really want to develop, I want to be a confident shooter and extend it to a mid-range game, to where I can just take a dribble or two and finish. I want to keep working on that and keep working on the post moves that I have.”
Ute fans will have to wait several months to see Topalovic in a Runnin’ Ute uniform, but even though he won’t suit up in red and white until this fall, he’s already a Ute at heart and can’t wait to get to Salt Lake City.
“I’m excited,” he exclaimed. “I’m excited to be a Ute, and I’m very excited for the upcoming season. I’m looking forward to meeting all of the fans and playing in the environment that they provide.”
As the coaches build their new team this fall, having someone with the experience and skill set of Topalovic will likely prove to be invaluable. While only time will tell exactly how big of an impact he will have in his one year as a Ute, there’s little doubt that this Runnin’ Ute team will be better and deeper with him on the roster.