After spending time in the United States, the promising playmaker came back to Belgrade for the ANGT.
Savo Drezgic cherishes being back with beloved Partizan
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No one should be surprised that Savo Drezgic has dominated the competition at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Belgrade. The U18 Partizan Belgrade point guard has already done so in the past and he has experience playing with the Black and Whites pro team.
Drezgic has been Partizan’s main man at the ANGT Belgrade, and he almost singlehandedly guided the team to a surprising opening-day victory over U18 Mega MIS Belgrade. Drezgic poured in 24 points to go with 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals for an index rating of 45 in the 91-59 win over Mega.
Throughout the three-game group stage, the 1.93-meter playmaker averaged 16.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.3 steals.
The victory over Mega was especially meaningful because not only was it a surprise but it gave Partizan a chance to make a statement.
Partizan had a nightmare start to the domestic youth season when it lost to Radnicki and failed to qualify for the Serbian U19 league, meaning it would only play in a local league.
“In the game against Mega we proved that we deserve to play in the [Serbian U19] league,” Drezgic said in his mild-mannered temperament.
The Belgrade native is anything but mild-mannered on the court. He is more a lethal force willing and able to destroy teams in a variety of ways - both on his own or helping set up teammates.
This is Drezgic’s third ANGT season and he was one of the biggest stars in Belgrade last year. He tallied 21.5 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists including registering a triple-double of 27 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in the seventh-place game against U18 Umana Reyer Venice. That was the seventh triple-double in the history of the ANGT competition.
That performance garnered Drezgic a brief stint with Partizan’s senior team at the end of the 2022-23 season - though he made his senior team debut in February 2023 in the Serbian Cup game against Spartak Subotica with 2 points.
“It was an amazing experience spending time with the best players in Europe and a coach like Zeljko Obradovic,” said Drezgic, who collected 4 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in a combined 10 minutes over three ABA Adriatic League playoff games in late May and June 2023.
After the massive disappointment of not reaching the U19 Serbian league, Drezgic didn’t have much opportunity to test himself this season. There were two games in the U19 ABA Adriatic League and he averaged 13.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.5 steals.
But the local league was not enough of a challenge and Drezgic wasn’t quite ready to play regularly for Obradovic’s main side - though he tallied a combined 8 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists in 22 minutes of three ABA games in November and December.
Late in 2023, Drezgic said he went to the legendary coach to talk about the situation.
“I talked to Coach Obradovic, and the goal was to play as much as possible and that helped me a lot,” he remembered.
Instead of playing on loan somewhere else in Europe, Drezgic decided in late December to head to the United States and play for the DME Academy in Florida to help develop his game and get a different perspective.
“The game is faster and more physical,” Drezgic said of the style in the United States. “In Europe, the game is more tactical.”
When asked what he learned most about his brief time at DME, he said: “Seeing a different style of the game.”
But he has missed Europe as well.
“Definitely the fans and the atmosphere. That is something you don’t have in the United States,” he said.
Drezgic may not have been in Serbia recently but that hasn’t stopped him from keeping up with his beloved Black and Whites.
“I haven’t missed a game since I left. I watch every game,” he said.
Drezgic revealed that returning to Serbia for the ANGT Belgrade was never a question.
“That was planned from the beginning and I am very happy to be home,” he said.
When asked what it meant to be playing at the ANGT again for Partizan, he said: “I think it’s something beautiful. I love this club Partizan.”
Partizan’s final game of the group stage also brought out seven players from the club’s professional team: P.J. Dozier, Tristan Vukčević, James Nunnally, Bruno Caboclo, Jaleen Smith, Frank Kaminsky and Zach LeDay.
PJ Dozier was even wearing a Drezgic jersey.
"It really meant a lot! Not just for me but for the whole team. It was really a special feeling to have seven EuroLeague players in the front row supporting you and backing you up. And I would like to thank them for that," Drezgic said.
Drezgic will be heading back to Florida after the ANGT Belgrade and play out the season in the United States.
What next year holds is still unclear, but long term, Drezgic knows what he wants.
“My wish is to play in front of the best fans in the world with the Black and Whites,” he said.
And eventually, dominate at the next level.