Pajevic heating up for Wildcats

Newport Harbor High product produced a season-high 17 points in Weber State’s win over Idaho State on Saturday.For a guy who grew up in Bosnia, Nedim Pajevic was reminded how much he had acclimated to Newport Beach when he first experienced a Utah winter.

“Yeah, it’s a big difference, climate-wise,” Pajevic said, laughing. “I’m used to the beach now. [When I’m in Newport Beach,] I live a mile from the beach. Coming out here with all this cold is tough.”

Even so, the former Newport Harbor High standout hasn’t done too badly for himself at Weber State. The 6-foot-9 junior center has started 16 of 20 games for the Wildcats, averaging 5.9 points and 3.3 rebounds.

He had a career night Saturday, scoring 17 points and grabbing seven rebounds in Weber State’s 66-61 victory over Idaho State. A native of Bosnia who moved to the United States when he was 9, Pajevic has a unique familiarity with his teammates and coaches. David Patten was a redshirt at Santa Ana College when Pajevic was there. Coach Joe Cravens was an assistant at UC Irvine in 1996-97 under former coach Rod Baker.

But perhaps his closest connection is with sophomore center Danko Barisic, a Croatian. “It was nice to get to know someone who I can relate to in my culture,” Pajevic said. “Talking about a lot of stuff, we have a real common ground in soccer. We relate to each other in subjects like that.”

Pajevic took a winding path to get to Weber State, located in Ogden, Utah. After graduating from Newport Harbor in 2003, he moved on to Santa Ana College and played two seasons there -- earning All-Orange Empire Conference second-team honors both years.

The former Sea View League Co-MVP considered UC Riverside, Pacific, San Jose State and New Mexico before choosing the Wildcats. He made enough of an impression on the coaching staff to get the starting nod in the season opener against Montana Western.

“When I visited, they said I was going to get a chance to play,” Pajevic said. “They’re never going to tell you if you’re going to start. I guess they were surprised with how well I adjusted. The first game, I was real surprised to get to start and was happy to do so.”

Since then, the Wildcats have been streaky. After winning their first five games, they lost six in a row. A three-game winning streak was followed by a seven-game skid that ended with Saturday night’s victory.

Still, Pajevic has hopes of his team turning things around by the time the Big Sky Conference Tournament starts in March. Last year’s squad advanced to the conference final before losing to Portland State.

The Newport Harbor alum also has plans for after he completes his business management degree. Pajevic has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Bosnia, which would allow him to play professionally in Europe without counting against any limits on foreign players.