Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Adds Two for 2008-09
4/22/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
April 22, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -
Northwestern men's basketball head coach Bill Carmody has announced the signing of Davide Curletti (Farmington Hills, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's) and Luka Mirkovic (Belgrade, Serbia/La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.)) to National Letters of Intent to join the Wildcats for the upcoming 2008-09 season.
The duo joins Nick Fruendt (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) and John Shurna (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West), who signed on during the early signing period in November, as NU's incoming freshman class.
"With this group, I think we addressed a need for help in the frontcourt," Carmody said. "We've brought in some size, some athletic ability and also some guys who can score inside and out. They all display the versatility that we place a lot of importance on."
Curletti (6-9, 225) averaged 16.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a senior in helping lead St. Mary's to its third straight Catholic League title and a berth in the Michigan Class A state quarterfinals. For his efforts, Curletti was named a second-team all-state selection of both the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News.
"We think Davide's best days are ahead of him," Carmody said. "He's very aggressive. He can score in the low post and can make the open shot. Davide has a very high basketball IQ. He's going to compete for playing time next year.
Mirkovic (6-11, 225) played his final prep season at La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Ind., after emigrating from his native Serbia. In his lone season with the Lakers, he burst on the scene by averaging 25 points and 15 rebounds per contest. Mirkovic has been rated as high as the No. 4 collegiate prospect in Indiana in the class of 2008.
"Luka is a legitimate big man," said Carmody. "He's a very good scorer. His bread-and-butter is around the basket, but he can also step outside and shoot. Luka knows how to play the game and has done so internationally. I look forward to him making an immediate impact."
Northwestern returns all five starters and 13 letterwinners next season from its 2007-08 squad.
Davide Curletti
6-9, 225, Forward
Farmington Hills, Mich./Orchard Lake St. Mary's
High School: Second-team all-state selection of the Detroit Free Press and the Detroit News ... Honorable mention all-state pick of the Associated Press ... Averaged 16.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game ... Helped St. Mary's to three consecutive Catholic League titles and a berth in the Class A quarterfinals as a senior ... Named to All-Metro North team ... Team MVP ... Four-year letterwinner ... Team captain ... Participated in the Michigan prep all-star game ... Competed on the AAU circuit with The Family ... High school coach was George Poritt.
Personal: Born Davide Curletti on March 21, 1990 ... Son of Dario and Maura Curletti ... High school teammate of Michigan State's Kalin Lucas ... Chose Northwestern over Michigan.
Luka Mirkovic
6-11, 225, Center
Belgrade, Serbia/La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.)
High School: Rated as the fourth-best collegiate prospect in the state of Indiana by Hoops Indiana ... Averaged 25 points and 15 rebounds per game at La Lumiere ... First-team all-area selection of The News-Dispatch ... Season high in scoring was 37 points ... Team captain ... Scored a game-high 24 points and added 10 rebounds and three blocked shots in The News-Dispatch charity all-star game ... Honor roll student ... High school coach was Delray Brooks.
Personal: Born Luka Mirkovic in Belgrade, Serbia on May 27, 1989 ... Son of Aleksandar and Dragana Mirkovic ... Chose Northwestern over Louisville, DePaul and Marquette.
