Men’s basketball freshman Aleksander Dozic is adjusting to life as a student athlete at Marshall University.

However, acclimating to new surroundings is nothing new for the 6-foot-9 forward, who moved to the United States from Podgorcia, Montenegro last year.

Dozic joined the Herd family this season, transitioning from Don Bosco Preparatory School in Chicago, Illinois.

Dozic said he has relied on his Herd teammates to help him adapt to the new city.

“After coming from a school in Chicago, it’s not so bad,” Dozic said. “And I have other foreigners on the team that speak the same language, so they help me a lot.” 

Dozic said this season has been a learning experience as he is attempting to make the jump in competition from a preparatory school to a D-I University.

However, while in Chicago, Dozic said he had already gone through the process of adjusting to a different style of basketball.

“Playing at the prep school helped me a lot because American basketball is a lot different from European basketball,” Dozic said “It is a higher level, and I’m still learning everyday.”

Dozic said one of the most difficult aspects of attending college overseas is being away from his family.

Dozic said he misses his family more than anything and that he longs for simple things, such as his native food.

Senior forward James Kelly, who has served as a mentor to the young talent, said Dozic does a good job of encouraging  his teammates on a daily basis.

Kelly said Dozic’s value, however, extends beyond his positive attitude.

“His greatest contribution to the team is defense and how much energy he brings to practice,” Kelly said.

Dozic said he takes practices seriously because he wants to have a great season next year, singling out junior forward Ryan Taylor’s performance this season as a goal in terms of his level of play.

Dozic has played in 22 games for the Herd this season, posting averages of nine minutes per game, 1.5 points per game and 1.5 rebounds per game.

Danielle Wright can be contacted at [email protected].