Josip Mikulic: I am excited to play for them

Josip Mikulic came to the United States from Siroki, Croatia, over a year ago with the dream of playing college basketball one day. Mission accomplished.

Mikulic met Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep coach Scott Williams at the airport and his English language skills were limited to saying mostly, "Yes." A lot has changed for the 6-foot-11, 230-pound junior center.

Mikulic has become well-spoken in English, made a name for himself in high school basketball and fulfilled his dream of playing college basketball by making a verbal commitment to play for NC State last Friday night.

His friends and teammates at North Broward Prep are buzzing over the news of his commitment to the Wolfpack.

"NC State is a good school, so I accepted the scholarship and want to go there," said Mikulic, 17, whose favorite class is history. "My goal is to go to the NBA, and I want to get stronger, faster and more athletic."

Williams said the chance to play in the ACC was too good to pass up.

"I think a lot of it is him playing in the league that they play in," Williams said. "NC State is young and are getting a lot better. There is excitement about trying to help turn the program around to back where it was. That had a lot to do with Josip's commitment. It's one of the best leagues and best areas for basketball. Everybody at North Broward Prep is pretty excited about it here."

NC State assistant coach Monte Towe unearthed Mikulic during the fall evaluation period and stayed in steady contact. NCSU coach Sidney Lowe closed the deal Friday with a scholarship offer, and Mikulic quickly accepted it.

Mikulic's older brother plays basketball at Sante Fe Community College in Gainesville, Fla., where Towe used to be the head coach. Mikulic also has an older sister and younger brother, and leaving his family wasn't an easy decision. Domagoj Samac, a 6-9 junior small forward from Croatia, is another potential Division I recruit at North Broward Prep once he becomes healthy.

Adjusting to basketball in the U.S. was another challenge.

"It's completely different," Mikulic said. "It's faster basketball here. Everybody can shoot here and everyone is an athlete that can run fast and jump. European basketball is more catch and shooting."

Mikulic had one of his best games against Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Pine Crest High on Dec. 8, finishing with 18 points, 13 rebounds and four blocked shots in the 70-63 victory in the third game of the season. He also came within a goaltending call away from a triple-double against Miami Gulliver Prep.

"That was a wonderful feeling [against Gulliver Prep], and I want more games like that," Mikulic said.

Mikulic is starting to come into his own after missing most of his sophomore season with an injury.

"It wasn't easy, just sitting there and watching my team play," Mikulic said. "It was tough. I didn't like it at all."

Mikulic returned to Croatia last summer, and worked on gaining weight for his junior season. He weighed 190 pounds over a year ago.

"I worked on my shooting, dribbling and I ran a lot," Mikulic said. "I thought I was better when I came back [to school].

"Everything is better. Now, I'm playing, so I'm happy."

Mikulic's favorite player is Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, who is originally from Germany. His favorite player in Croatia is Stanko Barac, a 7-1 center whose NBA rights are held by the Indiana Pacers.

Mikulic dived into the English language, reading books and watching TV. He's looking forward to possibly watching the Clemson at NC State game Thursday on ESPN, and looks forward to his first trip to Raleigh to see the campus.

"Yeah, of course, I can't wait to see them play," Mikulic said. "I am excited to play for them and I can't wait to go up there."