With his ability to knock down 3-pointers with consistency and also create his own shot off the dribble with freelance one on one moves, Ivan Kovalchuk now has the potential to be certifiable 3-point trigger man at the collegiate level.
Since he was a freshman in high school, he’s been able to hit shots from way, way, way beyond the confines of the arc.
And while he’s likely never going to shed his label as a sniper, the 6-foot-4 two-guard out of Ukraine has been able to differentiate himself from other players of his caliber due to his newfound mid-range and pull-up game. In the process of diversifying his overall arsenal, Kovalchuk has added a nifty floater to his game.
Now, having averaged 13.7 PPG and steadily improving as an on-ball defender who utilizes pressure all across the court, he’s expressing a realistic desire to prolong his career in America.
“The fact that the game is faster in the states, more athletic, and more entertaining in style, that’s where the appeal is,” said Kovalchuk, who has learned the English language over the course of the last six months. “I really like watching guys like Klay Thompson and of course Lebron James, who is simply a natural leader out there.”
With multiple games of four 3-pointers or more this past season, Kovalchak was an instrumental piece in the balanced scoring produced by Kyviv Basket-8. With a knack for hitting 3-pointers in succession and heating up in a hurry, Kovalchak routinely attracted double teams and face-guarding.
This, of course, propelled him to expand on his game and find innovative ways to score the ball through traffic. He became more adept at knifing to the rim, incorporating an 18-footer and a deep two jumper (a lost art in today’s game). While adapting to the niceties of both the point guard and off guard positions, Kovalchuk has increased his facilitating acumen and taken more of a sense of pleasure in making those around him better.
“In the Ukraine I learned how to be the consummate team player,” he said. “We as a program out there, we play with team concepts and all try to make each other better throughout practice every day.”
Finely tuning his all around game while becoming more defensively versatile, Kovalchak understands the science of recruiting and how to give himself more of a marketable skill that will attract scholarship attention. Helping acclimatize him to it all has been Boris Karebkin, the former NBA scout and longtime international coach who routinely places European prospects at American prep schools.
“I was at Coach Boris’ camp in Lithuania, and that’s how the connection really started,” he explained.
“He always told me not only how to be a basketball player but how to act professional and how to be proper off the court and on it. He’s also helped broaden opportunities for me and introduce me to people who I know will aid me in terms of basketball.”
