CULTURE CLASH NIKOLA DRAGOVIC COULD HAVE BEEN PLAYING PRO BASKETBALL IN HIS NATIVE SERBIA; INSTEAD, HE DECIDED TO TRY HIS LUCK IN A NEW LAND AND ENROLL AT UCLA.

Byline: BRIAN DOHN Staff Writer

Even as the final seconds ticked off of UCLA's easy win at California last week, Nikola Dragovic sat in his familiar spot, sandwiched between walk-on DeAndre Robinson and trainer Carrie Rubertino at the end of the Bruins' bench.

It is not the position Dragovic envisioned when he decided to move 7,000 miles away from his home in Belgrade, Serbia, not what he thought he was getting into when he elected to mix basketball with the pressure of learning a new language while attending a challenging academic school.

And Dragovic can look further on what he passed up at home. In addition to the points he would be scoring, his wallet would be fattening thanks to a contract that he estimates would have paid him $50,000 to $80,000 this season, with room to make much more in future years, had he remained in Europe.

Instead, Dragovic is battling homesickness, adjusting to vast cultural changes and waiting for next season, when he believes he will get some playing time. He has not played since Jan. 4 at Oregon State, which visits the fifth-ranked Bruins today.

``I'm glad I came to UCLA,'' Dragovic said. ``If you play professionally in Serbia, there is no time to go to school. You just play basketball. I wanted to go to school and play basketball at the same time. That way I have something to do after basketball.''

It's been a life-dizzying six months for Dragovic, a 19-year-old freshman wing.

He arrived in the United State in August, capable of understanding English but his communication consisted mostly introducing himself and asking for food.

However, as a showing of the basketball program's on-campus strength, Dragovic was still admitted to UCLA, albeit with a contingency. He needed a B in English as a Second Language during the summer session.

``(English) is tough because if I don't know one word, it changes everything,'' Dragovic said. ``When I got (the grade), I called everybody. I was so happy.''

Speaking with Dragovic now, one would never suspect his English was non-existent in the summer, although he still requested a school representative be present for an interview for this story.

But what drew UCLA to Dragovic is still largely unseen, except by those inside coach Ben Howland's closed practices.

Dragovic was listed as a top 75 player by NBA draft.net before enrolling at UCLA. He has a reputation of being a dynamite outside shooter with the ability to drive to the basket.

But even with starting wing Josh Shipp shooting 30.4 percent from 3-point range and backup Michael Roll hitting 35.7 percent, Dragovic is not getting on the court. And for a few good reasons.

First, Dragovic began the season serving a 10-game suspension, mandated by the NCAA, for playing with what was deemed a professional team in Serbia. A member of his Mega Ishrana team in Serbia was paid to play, and under NCAA rules, that makes it a professional team.

Also, Dragovic didn't play much defense in Europe. At deep and talented UCLA, where Howland emphasizes defense more than Robert Gates, that meant Dragovic had little shot at earning playing time once he was eligible.

``He's a great kid,'' Howland said. ``I think it's very difficult to be in a situation like this. It's hard to start out the way he did, missing the first 10 games. It's hard for me to change our rotation, things we're doing --when we're having success.''

In the 11 games since the suspension ended, Dragovic played in three, for a total of eight minutes. Red-shirting was not an option because he would still have to sit out 10 games next season.

``I think the most important thing is the team is winning,'' Dragovic said. ``I'm working hard, and I've improved much since I'm in America, especially on defense.''

Compounding his on-court inactivity is a sometimes overwhelming homesickness, made even more difficult by a nine-hour time difference.

Dragovic said he misses Belgrade's nightclubs, which were easily accessible even for 16-year-olds, as well as his family and some ethnic food dishes.

``It was so hard at first. I didn't eat,'' Dragovic said. ``Then I found a few Serbian restaurants.''

Fellow freshman Russell Westbrook, who is Dragovic's roommate, said there are times he hears the computer keys clicking well after midnight as Dragovic emails with friends and families. Dragovic also speaks to his family regularly via the internet and a camera hookup.

``We hang out, or go out to eat, or just chill in our room and talk,'' Westbrook said. ``During the summer he wasn't as comfortable as he is now. I can't imagine being that far away. My parents come to every home game.''

It helps UCLA has two other players -- Cameroon imports Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Alfred Aboya -- living an ocean away from home. They help in sharing some of their experiences, but it is not a panacea.

``The first two years (of high school), got real homesick,'' said Mbah a Moute, who prepped at Montverde (Fla.) Academy. ``For me personally, I always wanted to have people around me. I've really been fortunate to have one person from Cameroon everywhere I went.''

Dragovic said he has not come close to succumbing to the homesickness, and part of the reason are friends of the family live in Palos Verdes. Dragovic often goes there for a slice of home.

It is a rough first season, but Dragovic said he rarely thinks about the quick-fix money he passed up in Belgrade for a better long-term future at UCLA.

``I'm still so happy I'm here,'' Dragovic said. ``I wanted to come here, to one of the best teams in America, and that's UCLA. I plan on being here for three more years.''

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- Brian Dohn