NASHVILLE — Nemanja Djurisic is homesick. And who could blame him?
A freshman forward for the Georgia Bulldogs, Djurisic figures he has spent about three months of his past three years on his home turf, which happens to be on another continent. Djurisic (pronounced JUR-riss-sich) hails from Podgorica, Montenegro.
“Yeah, I’m a little bit homesick,” said Djurisic, who came to the United States to play high school basketball in Connecticut in 2009. “Sometimes I wish I could see my family or have them here watching my games. I miss my language sometimes. But my coaches and teammates help me with that. They’re all very friendly and supportive, and I’m getting used to the environment. Things are getting better.”
The Bulldogs certainly are glad that Djurisic came all this way to play basketball. Who knows where they might be without him?
The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward has been a godsend for Georgia, which is 9-7 overall and 0-2 in the SEC as it prepares to face Vanderbilt (12-4, 0-1) on Saturday. He was been thrust into a starting role for after a knee injury sidelined Marcus Thornton just before Christmas. And judging from Djurisic’s performances, he intends to do more than just hold down the fort.
While he is unable to duplicate the defensive presence of Thornton in the post, Djurisic gives the Bulldogs an offensive dimension they were missing.
Nowhere was that more evident than Tuesday in Gainesville, Fla. Djurisic was Georgia’s most consistent offensive weapon against the powerful Gators. He scored 14 points in 28 minutes and was 2-of-4 from 3-point range.
In the three games in which he played significant minutes since Thornton went out — he played only 17 minutes against Delaware State — Djurisic has averaged 10 points and 6.6 rebounds. That’s a significant upgrade from Thornton, who has averaged 2.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. He was sidelined in the Furman game Dec. 23.
“Nemi is finally feeling healthy, and he’s been able to string together some minutes,” Georgia coach Mark Fox said. “He’s always been a very good offensive player, but now that he’s able to stay on the floor, he’s starting to get into a groove.”
Djurisic struggled initially with the rigors of training for major college basketball. Back, lower-leg and elbow injuries dogged him during the teeth of the non-conference schedule and added to the misery of missing home.
But, again, his teammates and fellow UGA athletes, who affectionately call him “Nemi,” got him through the rough patch. He rooms with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Donte’ Williams. They hang out with him and give the car-less Djusric rides wherever he needs to go.
“People here are very nice to me,” Djurisic said. “People here are very hospitable, very warm. I really like it here, and I feel like it is my second home.”
The modern miracles of Skype and cellphone technology help.
“I talk to them almost every day,” he said of his mother and father, who remain in Podgorica, which is six hours ahead of Eastern time. “We Skype or I’ll call them just to say hi and tell them that I’m OK. They will stay up late until I call them or text them.”
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