Dec. 19, 2005

BERKELEY - Nikola Knezevic, a 6-2, 190-pound guard from Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro, has joined the California basketball team and will be eligible to play Wednesday, Golden Bear head coach Ben Braun announced today.

"We're excited to have Nikola join our program," Braun said. "He's a consummate team player who helps his teammates perform at a higher level. He has a great understanding of the game and brings a lot of experience to our line-up. I was impressed with his play this past summer and think he is going to be a great addition to our team."

Knezevic, who will have freshman eligibility this season and has been admitted to Cal for the spring semester, was rated the No. 3 point guard and No. 17 overall player at last summer's adidas Superstar Camp. He also played as a member of the Serbia and Montenegro Junior National team at the Under 18 European Championships in 2004.

As a member of his Beovuk '72 club team, Knezevic helped the squad to a pair of Serbian titles and two Serbia and Montenegro championships.