Each time Texas Tech plays basketball, Darko Cohadarevic rolls a skintight sleeve from the base of his right wrist to the middle of his upper arm. The sleeve’s purpose is simple: It keeps a large, quarter-size birthmark at his elbow from being bumped and bleeding all over the court.

Cohadarevic

Cohadarevic says it shocked him that even this has caused controversy.

“Last year a lot of people were saying how I wear a sleeve because I have a shooter’s mentality,” he said. “It’s just because of my birthmark. A doctor told me to wear it.”

The 6-foot-9 senior takes plenty of ribbing off the court for his actions on it. Known for his hot temper and European style of play, Cohadarevic says he’s heard plenty of talk about his prima donna ways.
He’s determined this season to not only ignore his critics, but to prove them wrong.

“People just make their own pictures about stuff,” the Serbian-born forward said. “I can’t control their minds.”
Cohadarevic started all three games of last weekend’s Duel in the Desert basketball tournament, and is slated to start once again when Tech faces Northwestern State tonight for the fourth game of the
season. His 9.4 points per game are fourth best on the team.

It’s quite a departure from his junior year, his first in Lubbock after transferring from Seward County Community College in Kansas, when Cohadarevic averaged just 3.5 points and 2.0 rebounds per game and only started twice.

That’s where the bad reputation began. He admits he didn’t really understand or care about the system coach Pat Knight drilled in practice. On rare occasions when he did pay attention, he says he got conflicting messages from different coaches, became frustrated and never quite understood what they were asking of him. By the time he settled into the Red Raider program, the season was wrapping up.

“Last year he was trying to do too much, playing out of his role,” forward Mike Singletary said. “This year I think he’s got more confidence.”

Tech’s coaches laid on the pressure to play to his potential as quickly as he could. Knight likes to publically rib him; several teammates reported back that Knight called him out at last week’s Red Raider Club basketball tip-off luncheon. Cohadarevic says he doesn’t take it personally and that the teasing motivates him.

Even former coach Bob Knight will pull him out of practice for a one-on-one lesson about post play.

“He always has to call me that ‘European’ word,” Cohadarevic said. “ ‘The European guy does this or that.’ ”
During one preseason practice this year, he received high praise from the former coach.

“He told me I actually look more like an American player,” Cohadarevic said. “ ‘Which I like,’ he said. ‘I don’t like Europeans.’ ”

Now he’s dedicated to playing American defense while making shots like a European. He quotes a motivational phrase on display in Tech’s locker room, saying no number of baskets can take away the other team’s points. It’s a motto the whole team has adopted this season; the Raiders’ scoring average is actually down 5.2 points per game from 2008-09 and 39 per game from the first three contests that season.

Pat Knight said Cohadarevic routinely out-rebounds other players by 30 or 40 boards per practice session. In one closed scrimmage he failed to record a single rebound, and now that “zero” hangs in his locker as a reminder.

“I’ve got to buy into this motion offense more,” Cohadarevic said. “I’ve got to do other little stuff besides scoring: setting screens, rebounding, having deflections, helping people get open.”

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