Before even stepping on the court to play a regular season high school game in America, Marko Filipovics made the decision to play for the Portland Pilots next year. The 6-foot-9 and 200 pounds Hungarian import made the move to United States at the end of summer. After playing for the Hungarian U18 national team, he decided to join up the Prolific Prep program in Napa.
Filipovics says about the decision to come to the Bay Area, "I came to the Bay Area because Coach Doherty and Coach Russotti are professionals and that was the perfect opportunity for me to develop my game." He adds about the Portland decision, "I chose Portland because Coach Michael Wolf saw me play on film and at the European championship and then contacted my Hungarian coach."
The current Pilot roster has Northern California alums in Jesuit's Bryce Pressley and Cardinal Newman's Bobby Sharp. But more telling is that the roster has five international transplants including four from the European continent. Hence, Filipovics' Northern California and European pedigree makes him a natural fit for the Portland program.
The 2015 prospect with his size and skills set will remind many of the European style of play for larger players. His signature skill is his shooting but he can also slash to the basket. He is not the traditional a post player as he plays more of a wing position. Filipovics can stretch defenses with his outside shooting.
The Hungarian is from Kaposvar, which is a city in the southwestern part of the country. He last attended Munkacsy Mihaly Gimnazium as the school won their league championship. Despite the proliferation of European players being drafted in the NBA, the only NBA player ever from Hungary was Kornel David who played in the league in the late 1990s.
Filipovics will be attending Vintage High while he plays his first and final year of high school basketball. Fittingly, he will be doing so at the newly formed Prolific Prep program. Watch for this Hungarian import to shine in Napa, Calif.
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