Former Northwestern center Luka Mirkovic to sign with KAO Dramas in Greece

Luka Mirkovic will sign this week with KAO Dramas of the Greek Basketball League. To start his professional career, he will be loaned to the second division Doxa Lefkadas. The former Northwestern center told me that his contract will be for three years, and the loan is meant to get him some more playing time and experience.

"It's kind of like being sent to the minors in baseball, because I'm too young and inexperienced to play first division this year," he said. "They are planning on having me on the squad next year."

The Greek Basketball League is one of the top leagues in Europe, with its champion last season, Olympiacos, going on to win the Euroleague title over CSKA from Russia. The Greek league's second place team, Panathinaikos, lost in the Euroleague semifinals to CSKA.

KAO Dramas, also called KAOD, is based in Drama, Greece. The team went 9-15 and placed ninth in the Greek league last year. Doxa Lefkadas, based on the picturesque island of Lefkadas in western Greece, went 15-15 and finished ninth in the second division.

Mirkovic said he will officially sign his contract this week, and Doxa Lefkadas' first game is Saturday in the Greece Cup.