Filip Rebraca focuses on rebuilding confidence in offseason

Including weight, visiting dwelling additionally on to-do listing for Hawkeyes ahead

Iowa Hawkeyes ahead Filip Rebraca (0) smiles together with his teammates after the sport in opposition to the Indiana Hoosiers at Carver-Hawkeye Area in Iowa Metropolis, Iowa, on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Filip Rebraca has seen a variety of basketball expertise during the last month.

The 6-foot-9 Iowa ahead performed at Iowa’s recreation heart in opposition to atypical college students.

“I do not go there lots anymore as a result of I used to be making an attempt to up my competitors,” Rebraca stated.

On the opposite finish of the problem spectrum, he additionally has performed in opposition to different faculty basketball gamers at Courtroom 45 in North Liberty.

It’s a part of his effort to enhance and achieve confidence after a season the place he began all 36 video games and averaged 5.8 factors and 5.6 rebounds per sport.

“I wasn’t happy with how I performed this yr,” Rebraca stated. “I simply form of conformed to a task once I noticed it wasn’t going too properly for me.”

It’s clear rebuilding confidence is a precedence for the Serbia native.

“I really feel like that was the largest key to my sport that was lacking final yr,” Rebraca stated.

Confidence got here up lots within the five-plus-minute interview Thursday.

“I really feel like I’ve stated confidence on this little, quick interview 30 instances,” Rebraca stated with amusing.

One other purpose is to bulk up after weighing 230 kilos in 2021-22.

“I really feel like I can bump that up a bit bit,” Rebraca stated. “Unsure what my precise purpose is for proper now.”

At 230 kilos, he was typically considerably undersized in Massive Ten competitors. Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn, for instance, weighed 285 kilos. Michigan’s Hunter Dickinson weighed 260 kilos.

Rebraca gained’t miss Cockburn, who not too long ago declared for the NBA Draft, an excessive amount of.

“The entire league is quietly very (a lot) celebrating that he’s gone,” Rebraca stated.

A few of Rebraca’s offseason work will occur again dwelling in Serbia though he nonetheless is determining the timing of that journey. He’ll work out together with his father, who performed basketball professionally for 16 years, and at a facility the place some Serbian NBA gamers work out.

Earlier than then, he’s already noticing a distinction since March.

“On this quick period of time, I really feel like I made strides — enormous strides — in my confidence,” Rebraca stated earlier than the staff’s banquet Thursday night time.

Rebraca is “simply completely satisfied enjoying basketball,” and his social plans mirror that.

“I am in all probability going to go proper after this banquet to go play hoops,” Rebraca stated.

Feedback: (319) 398-8394; john.steppe@thegazette.com