UNT Men’s basketball: French connection

[Harry]

Every aspect of Niko Stojiljkovic’s college basketball story has been unconventional.

So it stood to reason that his last hurrah in a home game at North Texas would be a little different as well.

Stojiljkovic took his turn walking to center court on senior night at the Super Pit last week, but the former member of the French national team wasn’t met by his parents or his girlfriend like his teammates.

Stojiljkovic was met by head coach Tony Benford and everyone else on UNT’s bench who crowded in for a senior night picture that commemorated the end of his unique journey, one Stojiljkovic didn’t want to make a few years ago.

Stojiljkovic wrestled with the decision of whether to turn professional or come to the U.S. to play college basketball before electing to sign with San Francisco back in 2009.

Four years, four coaches and three colleges later, Stojiljkovic is still trying to fully capitalize on his potential and is down to his last chance in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, which will begin Friday when UNT faces Louisiana-Lafayette in an opening-round game.

That’s perfectly fine with the lanky 6-foot-9-inch forward with an inside-outside game and a pass-first mentality.

For Stojiljkovic, the journey — one that left him alone when it comes to family for events like senior night — has been worth it, even though it didn’t turn out as he expected.

Read more: http://www.dentonrc.com/sports/colleges/north-texas-headlines/20130306-mens-basketball-french-connection.ece

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[MeanGreenHoops]

Niko is the key to the tournament run.

[TheTastyGreek]

Niko is the key to the tournament run.

If anyone wants to claim Keith Coleman or P.J. Hardwick as the x-factor, I believe they are still up for grabs. Everyone else is accounted for.

+1 though. Nothing but love.

[MeanGreenHoops]

If anyone wants to claim Keith Coleman or P.J. Hardwick as the x-factor, I believe they are still up for grabs. Everyone else is accounted for.

+1 though. Nothing but love.

Ha! You hurt my feelings and made me laugh at the same time. Well I've posted it a few times, at least when I've still had the spirit to care, that Niko has made the difference in games. Coleman could too, but I won't pick him, because he will get into the game, fail to box out one time, and then Benford will pull him for the remainder of the game.

I think Niko makes the whole team better because he rebounds when Mitchell is trying to send every shot into the seats.

[emmitt01]

I'll go ahead and take PJ as my "difference maker". If he runs the offense and lets CJ ease back into the flow of the game as an attacker then I think we're better off.