Most high school freshmen are to be seen and not heard.
But Bishop Noll's Milos Kostic is not your typical ninth-grader. It's almost impossible to ignore the 6-foot-8, 200-pound transplant from Serbia.
Coach Drew Trost confirmed Saturday that Kostic has been offered a basketball scholarship to Northwestern -- at age 15.
"Coach (Bill) Carmody called me and said there was no reason to wait -- that they wanted to be the first," Trost said. "Yeah, I was surprised. Milos does a great job of passing the ball and understanding the game, which Northwestern loves. Watching him play, you forget he's 15.
"When I told him about the offer, Milos said: 'Why? I'm in high school. I have four more years.'"
Kostic lives on the south side of Chicago and is considered one of the top freshmen in Indiana.
"It's going to be a challenge to keep him focused on school," Trost said. "His family, from Day 1, told me the reason they brought him to the United States was to get an education. He's a mature kid and has a good grasp on knowing he needs to work hard in class and on the court.
"But it is pressure."
Trost already has a probable Division I player in point guard Kendall Coleman and a standout sophomore in 6-4 Ronnye Beamon.
"We're excited because (Kostic) will bring more coaches into the gym to look at our other players as well," Trost said.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Serbian stars to play at PUC
Basketball Club Partizan from Belgrade, Serbia will play an exhibition game at 7 tonight at Purdue Calumet. Headlining the Serbian squad is 7-foot teen sensation Jan Vesely and 7-6 center Slavko Vranjes.
Providing the competition will be a team of former pro and college players including Ali Berdiel (Valparaiso University), Homewood-Flossmoor grad Arriel McDonald (Minnesota), West Side grad James Booyer (IUPUI), Scott Pollard (Kings, Pacers) and Robert "Tractor" Traylor (Michigan).
Tickets are $15 at the door.
Please Wait…