| Sasa Borovnjak |
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Borovnjak is anxious to return to the court after suffering a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the Nittany Lions' first full-team practice of the 2010-11 season. He saw limited action in 18 games in his true-freshman season and was expected to provide a post scoring threat prior to the injury last year. The offensively skilled big man has a strong face-up game and a propensity for scoring around the goal. He added another five pounds of muscle in the off-season and returns for his third campaign as a Nittany Lion in the best shape of his career. Borovnjak competed against some of the top prep talent in the country while at Veritas Christian Academy (N.C.) and the transplant from Belgrade, Serbia has spent the last four years playing in the U.S. He owns better than a 3.2 grade-point average in marketing.
"He is doing great. He is back to full contact and Saz, our trainer, is doing a great job with him. He is very skilled. He can shoot it, he can pass, and he has a very good basketball IQ."
- Patrick Chambers
2010-11 • REDSHIRT
After a strong summer in which he looked like he would compete for time on the Nittany Lions' frontline, Borovnjak tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in his right knee during the Lions' first full-team practice on Oct. 7 and missed the 2010-11 season as he rehabilitated the injury.
2009-10 • FRESHMAN
Borovnjak saw action in 18 games as a true-freshman, including seven Big Ten games...Averaged 1.8 ppg and 1.1 rpg...Scored in eight games...Made his collegiate debut with two points in the season-opening victory over Penn (11/13)...Had a season-high six points in a victory over Robert Morris (11/16)...Had five points in a 79-60 victory over Northwestern (2/28)...Pulled down season-highs of three rebounds in wins over Robert Morris and Gardner-Webb (12/19).
HIGH SCHOOL
Borovnjak earned first-team All-Western North Carolina honors in his senior season at Veritas Christian Academy...Led western North Carolina in scoring and was fourth among all public and private school players in the state posting 26.1 ppg...Added 12.0 rebounds per game for a Veritas team that went 20-18 and finished sixth in the National Association of Christian Athlete's Division I National Championship....Veritas spent four weeks in ESPN's Top 50 prep program rankings during the year and played a national schedule that took them as far as the Bahamas and to 16 states...Borovnjak played two seasons at Veritas where he played with current Memphis guard Doneal Mack and Clemson center Catalin Baciu...Posted 33 points and 14 rebounds against perennial national power Oak Hill Academy, a 41-point outing vs. Queens Grant and 27 points vs. Mt. Zion as a senior....Averaged 18 ppg and 12 rpg as a junior and was named the Offensive MVP of the NACA Division I National Championship....Listed as a three star recruit by Scout.com.
PERSONAL
Born on July 30, 1989 in Knin, Croatia...The son of Zoran and Jasmenka Borovnjak, both of whom are economists...His older brother, Dejan, is a 6-10 forward who has played professional basketball in Europe since 2004-05 and currently is a member of the italian club, New Basket Brindisi, playing in Legadue...Raised in Belgrade, Serbia until moving to U.S. for two seasons of prep basketball before coming to Penn State.
