Sasa Borovnjak's Rivals.com profile shows him as a three-star power forward from Veritas Christian Academy.

If the words of his coach, John Jordan, are any indication of what Nittany Lions' fans might expect when he arrives at Penn State this summer, he's underrated.

BWI recently caught up with Borovnjak to find out the strengths and weaknesses of his game, how his senior season at Veritas went, and what he's up to as his enrollment at Penn State nears.

Borovnjak: I had an injury over the summer. I played AAU for the Carolina Raptors for two months after our season was over last year and then two days before I was supposed to go home, I broke up my arm.

I had surgery here so I couldn't play the whole summer for three months. So, I didn't play summer AAU and then I started playing in October with my team. I started practicing a month before the season started and I didn't have many coaches interested in me because I was like injured and I didn't play over the summer and they were looking at kids over the summer.

But, last year before I get injured, my junior year, I got MVP in nationals and I had Xavier, N.C. State, Wake Forest, all those coaches came and looked at me but they said they would come back and were really interested.

Then I didn't play AAU and when I came back I had to just start like coming back in the process. I was supposed to go to Marquette in November but a guy committed just one day before I was supposed to go visit up there. Then I keep looking at colleges that led to some visits.

Borovnjak: I think coach Kurt Kanaskie came to one of our games I think in Atlanta where there were a lot of college coaches. He saw me and he liked me. Then he came a couple more times here at my school, Veritas, to watch games. Then coach DeChellis came.

Borovnjak: It was hard but I didn't decide in one day because I had to call my parents in Serbia and talk with my brother before I made the decision.

Borovnjak: I came up there and I was really excited about the game and Penn State's fans.

They had a big sign, like, 'We love Sasa.' I thought they had some other guy named Sasa on the team. I asked coach Kanaskie, Do you have other players named Sasa? He said, No, I think that's for you. I was surprised.

Then I watched the game against Wisconsin, they took me around campus and I loved all the facilities for practice, the gym is excellent, campus is really big and they have a really good business school, which is important for my education.

Borovnjak: I saw a couple of guys like Chris Babb, he played this year and I think I can step up and play in my freshman year because Cornley is gone so he took up a lot of space on the team for the last four years. He started as a freshman and played the last two seasons almost the whole game every game. So now they have a big hole at my position, four, so I'll be ready to step up. I think so, yeah.

Borovnjak: Yeah, I am 230 and 6-9. When I came here I was 6-8, like a year ago I was 6-8 and I weighed 210 so I added like 15-20 pounds in one year, just lifting and doing the American process and style, playing and all.

Now, I just started Penn State's workout that coach sent to me, Monday through Friday, lifting and conditioning, so I'll be ready in July when I come up there.

Borovnjak: Yeah, my brother is 6-foot-11 and he's playing professional basketball in Serbia. This is now his sixth professional year I think.

I think I'm still growing maybe a little bit more. I grew up one inch from last Christmas to this year Christmas. From 6-8 to 6-9 so I might grow up a little bit more. But, I don't think I need too much more but one inch I think is enough and would be great.

Borovnjak: I play a lot in the post because I was 4/5 on my high school team so I have real good skills to post up guys and all.

But, if some guy is really stronger than me or taller, I take him outside and I have a quick first step so I can play from outside one on one and take him to the hole or step up and shoot.

I got those skills for dribbling and a fast first step because I was playing guard like the three before because I wasn't that tall four years ago. So, when I started playing basketball in Serbia, they focus a lot on technique so we like practiced every day our technique, dribbling in drills, so I have those skills from when I was like young like three or four years ago.

Then I grew up in height and as I came to high school, I grew up more and more.

Borovnjak: For nine years.

Borovnjak: My brother told me to start practicing because I was young and then when I was 10, he said you should start because my dad played basketball too, like, professional in Bosnia. My dad put me and my brother on the right way to play basketball because he knew we would be tall like him because he is 6-9 too, 6-8.

Borovnjak: When I was in Serbia, I was always playing with a year older and stuff and when you turn 18, then you're supposed to sign a contract, like professional.

So when I turned 18, I thought for me it would be better for me to come to America and finish college and education because in Serbia, it's like separate basketball and university education. So, they don't care in basketball with the clubs if you're in classes or going to school because they're paying you to play for them.

I like the American system where there's school and basketball together. I have a lot of friends who came here and play and they told me everything about America and say it will be good for me.

Borovnjak: Because I needed a month or two to relax. I came to a different culture and all. It's a different style of playing European basketball and American. So I had a little bit of time to roll in.

Borovnjak: I like American... Serbia in basketball is more like slower than here. It's more actions and that kind of stuff. In America it's more running, dunking and shooting, which my brother doesn't do. He doesn't like the NBA. He likes Euroleagues.

Borovnjak: Oh yeah, I like NBA ball, especially the Serbians when they play. We have a lot of Serbian players in the NBA.

Borovnjak: (Peja) Stojakovic.

Borovnjak: I was planning after I finish college to see how I improve myself and all and if I have options for the NBA or something but that's like my dream. If not, I'm planning to come back and play Euroleague like Spain or Italy or wherever.

Borovnjak: It was really tough because I didn't have very good teachers in Serbia so I didn't know English. I just knew a little bit. I learned it for a month like every day before I came here and then I came here and I was listening and I pick up quickly and learned. I took the SAT after four months learning English here and I got a good score so I didn't take it again.

Borovnjak: Yeah, it was really hard for the first couple of months and then you realize what you want and you have to do that. But, I am always in contact with them almost every day on the laptop talking to them every night.

Borovnjak: Yeah, I am really excited to come up to Penn State. I have a couple of friends there too. There's two girls from Serbia I am in contact with so it's really good. I'm real excited about it.

Borovnjak: I don't know how that works with the recruiting stuff and stars and all but I had a lot of colleges who came to watch me and then they come back, like Gonzaga, N.C. State, Wake Forest, Xavier, Marquette.

We played a lot of good teams like Oak Hill, Patterson Prep and those kinds of teams so I had the chance to play with really good guys who are going to really good colleges and are some of the best. So, I'm ready to play with anybody.

Borovnjak: I think I need to do more on speed like for defense and stuff. I need to be able to guard guards sometimes so I think that's the most important. And probably work on my jump as well too.