Prospect Spotlight: Djordje Orcev (2019)
Djordje Orcev has been an integral part of this year’s Richard Montgomery squad that has advanced to the state final four. The athletic and versatile 6-foot-5 wing, who can do a bit of everything on offense, brings some much needed physicality to his team’s front court. During a recent interview with Prep Hoops, Orcev discussed his mentality heading into the regional final, his overall game and his recruitment.
PH: You guys obviously beat this team pretty comfortably to open the season. How were you able to go into the second matchup without underestimating your opponent?
DO: “We know that a regional game was gonna be huge. We knew that the intensity level would be high. Coach Breslaw told us to forget about that win. They’re a new team now. They went through a long season, a good season, and they developed. We had to come out here and treat them as if they were any other team to get a win.”
PH: At what point during the game did you realize it would be a good night for you?
DO: “I always go in with confidence, but tonight after I got a couple of buckets it felt like the basket was getting bigger. I started feeling it, my teammates got me open and I took my shots. On the defensive end, it’s just all about heart and hustle. That’s what I did, and I just try to bring that every night.”
PH: Your ability to create your own shot has been evident throughout the season. Is this something you’ve always had in your game, or something you’ve been working on?
DO: “I think I’ve always had the ability, but last summer was really where I developed that. I really focused on kind of transforming my game from more of a big man to a wing. I developed my speed and shot creating ability. It’s become way better than it was before.”
PH: Who’s recruiting you right now?
DO: “Currently I don’t have any D1’s recruiting me, but I have several D3’s. I also have prep schools interested, but I’m hoping that maybe after this season I get some more interest and maybe a D1 offer. I’m just seeing where it takes me.”
PH: If you don’t get an offer by the end of the season, is prep school a legitimate option for you?
DO: “Right now, prep school is an option, yeah. It’s going to be a conversation with my family in terms of money, and seeing if maybe a D3 would be a better option. We’re going to go day by day with it.”
PH: What type of feedback do you receive from college coaches? What do they say they like about you? What do they say you need to work on?
DO: “A lot of coaches say they really like my physicality. They like my shot creating ability and my athleticism. A lot of them say they want to see me handle the ball more and be able to play that wing position more. Being like 6’5, 6’6 I need to be able to handle the ball. This season my role is to play the 3/4 so I’m not asked to handle the ball a whole lot, but I still think I’ve showed enough.”
PH: What will you guys need to focus on in order to keep advancing in this tournament?
DO: “It’s really all about our intensity. At this point, we know we’ve done what we set out to do, go to states. But now we need to open up that new chapter of what can we do in states. I think it’s going to be a team effort. No individual person can get it done by themselves.”
Djordje Orcev is currently ranked by Prep Hoops as a top-80 prospect in his class. To view the full ranking of Maryland and DC’s 2019 class, click here.