Mirkovic Forced to Sit Out One Contest

Freshman Luka Mirkovic will sit out Sunday's season opener against Central Arkansas.

Mirkovic Forced to Sit Out One Contest

11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Nov. 15, 2008

EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern University freshman forward/center Luka Mirkovic will sit out the Wildcat men's basketball team's season opener against Central Arkansas this Sunday head coach Bill Carmody announced. Northwestern and the NCAA Eligibility Center jointly determined that Mirkovic will be held out of one contest due to his playing in one game for a professional team in his native Serbia.

"The issue stems from Luka playing five minutes of one game after being called up to the top-level program at the end of the season," Carmody said. "It was the equivalent of a freshman being called up to the varsity high school team. Though the ruling is unfortunate for Luka, we respect the NCAA's decision. We look forward to having him back for Wednesday's game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi."

Mirkovic, a 6-foot-11-inch forward/center from Belgrade, Serbia, played last season at La Lumiere Academy in LaPorte, Ind.