Sophomore guard Urban Klavzar (7) knocked down his lone shot attempt in his collegiate debut Friday at FSU, but figures to play more than the five minutes logged in Tallahassee when the Gators take on Florida A&M in his home debut Tuesday night.
Urban Revival: Klavžar Cleared, Ready to Roll
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
Share:
By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – During a dead-ball sequence about seven minutes into Friday night's game at Florida State, Coach Todd Golden took a few steps down his Florida bench and gave a one-word shout.
URBY!
With that, Urban Klavzar seemingly interminable wait was over. The combination of emotional off-the-court relief and physical on-the-court release lasted all of five minutes in the Gators' 87-74 road victory, but for Klavžar the bus ride home must have felt like he'd posted a double-double. Urban Klavžar and the Slovenian flag
"Honestly, it was so tough mentally because you just don't know what's going to happen, so I tried my best to just keep going and be positive," Klavžar said of his hurry-up-and-wait ordeal. "I feel great now."
The 6-foot-1 combo guard from Slovenia signed with the Gators in August and the next four months dealing with NCAA eligibility red tape, not at all unusual for international players. Three games into the 2024-25 season, Klavžar still was battling daily doubts whether he'd ever get on the floor in a UF uniform. Then came word Thursday from the NCAA that the 20-year-old who played alongside professionals overseas the last six years had been cleared, effective immediately, as a sophomore.
Just 16 seconds after checking into the game, Klavžar was called for a travel when he got caught up in the pressure of an FSU defender. Twenty-four seconds later, he made up for the miscue by burying one of his signature fall-away baseline jumpers for what was his only field-goal attempt (and points) in his UF debut.
Look for Klavžar (his name is pronounced "UrBAHN KLAVzjar") to play more – and shoot more – Tuesday night when the unbeaten and 21st-ranked Gators (4-0) take on Florida A&M (0-3) at Exactech Arena/O'Connell Center.
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
For now, based on practices and those five fleeting minutes in Tallahassee, Klavžar appears to have won a battle for the ninth spot (and fifth perimeter player) in Golden's preferred nine-man rotation. He's done it mostly with his quick-trigger and sweet shooting stroke, but also because of the heady and mature way he plays the game.
They're traits he acquired playing with 20- and 30-somethings since he was just 14 years old.
"He's just a good player, man. A guy that should help us against pressure, a guy that can really shoot the ball, a guy with moxie, toughness, a little undersized, but really competes on both ends – and a guy that's played high-level basketball," Golden said. "The great thing about Urby is he's not going to be your normal [freshman-like player]. He's not a guy that's coming out of the high school ranks bright eyed and bushy-tailed … . He's played in big-time environments. He's played international basketball at the highest level, so I think he will be ready to help us right away."
Klavžar had been on Golden's radar for years; back to when Golden was shopping for international prospects as head coach at San Francisco. The two parties stayed in touch after Golden came to Florida in the spring of 2022, so when Klavžar and his family decided last winter to pursue a collegiate path in the United States the Gators had a built-in line of communication and dove right into the recruiting process with a head start.
Fired up Slovenia guard Urban Klavžarin FIBA competition.
Upon signing with UF in July, Klavžar immediately made good on his coaches' evaluation with stellar play in the EuroBasketball U20 Tournament in August, when he helped guide Slovenia to a silver medal by averaging a team-best 16.1 points to go with 3.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 38.3 percent from the 3-point line. Klavžar didn't get to campus until the week before fall classes began and had to learn the system on the fly over the next several weeks.
The coaches and players instantly took to his upside as a creative scorer, but what they love most about Klavžar – the first player in program history to wear No. 7 – is his outside shooting. Senior point guard Walter Clayton Jr. and his teammates definitely will be hunting for him in transition, but don't underestimate Klavžar's ability to get his own shot or his sneaky athleticism off the bounce.
"A professional scorer," was how one international scout described Klavžar.
"We may be playing a different style of ball than he was used to playing over there, but shooting translates," senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. "He's going to be good for us."
Associate head coach Korey McCray was asked for a comp. Vinnie Johnson, circa 1989
"You remember Vinnie Johnson?" McCray immediately shot back, invoking the name of the lethal sixth-man scorer for the back-to-back Detroit Pistons NBA championship teams of 1989-90. "They called Vinnie the 'Microwave.' That's Urb. Instant offense."
Home games this week against the Rattlers, statistically among the worst defensive teams in the country, then Friday night against a better Southern Illinois squad should provide an opportunity for Klavžar to log some quality minutes (certainly more than five) and ease his way into live action before the Gators get their next big test Thanksgiving weekend at the ESPN Events Invitational at Kissimmee, Fla.
"I'm sure he's antsy," senior guard Will Richard said. "Urban, he's a competitor. He's been playing hard in practice. He's been good in practice. So I know he's ready to get out there and show it in games."
Klavžar hails from Domzale, Slovenia – the country is tucked between Austria to the north, Hungary to the east, Croatia to the south and Italy to the west – but left his family at age 14 for Spain, where for the next six years he played for the prestigious athletic academy Real Madrid while representing his homeland in international competition. An outstanding student who completed required academic work in both Spain and Slovenia, Klavžar has been competing against older (in some cases, much older) players since he was an early teenager.
He had to grow up quickly. How quickly?
"My first roommate was 35 years old," he said.
Not surprisingly, there was an adjustment period. Despite his youth, Klavžar's coaches cut him no slack. If anything, they demanded more, which required thicker skin. He'd go long stretches during seasons without ever getting into a game, then got his first break when the club moved Klavžar to a lower-division team and allowed him to grow into the competition.
Some of his best work was done in the FIBA European play. As a 14-year-old playing in the U16, he averaged nearly 12 points per game and upped that to 15.6 as a 15-year-old the next year.
Florida commit 🇸🇮 Urban Klavzar was one of the starts of the U20 European Championships in Gdynia. With 16.1 points per game, he was the 5th highest scorer, shooting 38.3% from 3 (close to 7 attempts), creating well in isolation and pick and roll pic.twitter.com/48BNKoq9Nf
— Eurohoops Scouting (@EHoopsScouting) July 23, 2024
Klavžar saved his finest FIBA performance for U20 this summer, coming a last-second shot against France from winning a gold medal (and likely tournament MVP honors). A slew of high-major offers came pouring in – "Some really good ones," he said – but Klavžar was rock-solid with his commitment to the Gators, embracing the idea of coming to a warm climate and playing for a program on the rise.
Then came his trip to America and that far-too-long period of uncertainty.
No more having to stand at the end of the bench and just cheer for Urban Klavžar.
"There were some days, like when we were off, I came in [the gym] to shoot by myself and was thinking, 'What is going on? I might not touch the court this year.' I wondered if I might have to be on the sideline all year," Klavžar said of those dark days before the UF compliance folks closed out the case. "It was taking such a long time. I just didn't know."
Now he does. Klavžar knows he's going to play a lot for the Gators this season and a lot in the O'Dome, starting Tuesday. And he can't wait.
"It's been really challenging for him, but I think it speaks to his maturity and the kind of person he is, the way he's been able to navigate, keep a good head on his shoulders and be willing to help any way he can in practice," Golden said. "The good news is, he gets to go."
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu
