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Eastern Washington basketball got some nice pub last year for having the leading scorer in the nation, but now that Tyler Harvey is off to the NBA the Eagles will need someone else to pick up the scoring slack. Australian PF Venky Jois is the leading candidate, but Ukranian SF Bogdan Bliznyuk is also going to help the cause. He made a nice first impression as a freshman last year, scoring 8.7 PPG en route to being named Big Sky ROY. He is also a legitimately ridiculous long-range shooter, as he nailed over 55% of his 3-PT shots. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Bogdan about winning a conference title and trying to get back to the NCAA tourney.
You were born in Ukraine: how did you 1st get into the sport of basketball? When I first moved to the United States I lived in an apartment complex and everybody there played basketball. I just fell in love with the game and played every day.
What made you choose Eastern Washington? I chose Eastern because it was a great fit for my game and is pretty close to home. I also loved my coaches/teammates.
As a freshman last year you played 35 games and were named conference ROY: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I was able to contribute right away because I put the work in to make sure it was possible, and when my opportunity came around I tried to do the most with it.
In January you scored a career-high 25 PTS in a win over North Dakota: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? I did feel like I had the “hot hand” but the credit goes to my teammates. They made it easy for me by giving me great looks so all I had to do was make the shots. The coaching staff also had confidence in me.
You shot an amazing 55.8 3P% despite your unorthodox form: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? There really is no secret to making shots. If you put in the work in at the gym then it does not matter how different or unorthodox your shot is because it will go in. Again, my coaches/teammates put me in a place where I could succeed by having a great system and getting me open looks. Good shot selection is also a key: if you do not take bad shots, then you will probably make more shots.
In the 2015 Big Sky tourney title game you scored 13 PTS in a 4-PT win at Montana: what did it mean to you to win the conference title, and what was the reaction like when you got back to campus? Winning the Big Sky title over Montana was probably the best moment of my basketball career. I was thrilled that we were Big Sky champs: we worked so hard to accomplish that goal and we finally were able to make it happen. When we got back to campus everyone knew that we won so wherever we went there was someone congratulating us and talking about the game.
In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 11 PTS in a 10-PT loss to Georgetown: what did you learn from that game that you think can help you this year? I learned plenty of things: it was a good experience just being able to get there. I learned that the team (including myself) needs to be tougher. We need to win the boards and have a lots of determination to play defense at a high level.
Last year Tyler Harvey led the nation in PPG/3PM before deciding to enter the NBA draft: how are you going to try to replace all of his offense? Our team has guys who are ready to step into bigger roles and take on some of that burden. There will not be 1 guy who will pick up the slack: there will be a few who are ready to take that burden.
Your non-conference schedule includes road games against Mississippi State/Davidson/Pitt: which of these games do you feel will present your biggest test? I feel like all 3 of them will be big tests and make us a better team. I am looking forward to the game against Pitt the most because I grew up watching a lot of Big East basketball and Pitt was always pretty good.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I want our team to win our conference, win the conference tournament, and go as far as we can in the NCAA tourney. I think those things are possible and should be expected.