Park Hill South grad big part of Ohio's March Madness

While the basketball season has ended for most area high school and college players, Platte County still has one local player competing on the hardwood, and he’s doing it on college basketball’s biggest stage. Ohio University junior forward Ivo Baltic, a 2009 Park Hill South graduate, has been a key member of a Bobcat squad that has amassed a 29-7 record and Mid-America Conference (MAC) conference tournament championship this season. It earned them a trip to the NCAA Tournament where last week, as an underdog 13^th seed, the Bobcats fueled March Madness with not only an upset over the fourth seeded Michigan Wolverines 65-60, but two days later another win over 12^th seeded South Florida 62-56. The wins propel them towards an unlikely trip to the Sweet Sixteen and matchup against perennial power house, number one seeded North Carolina this Friday night in St. Louis.

“I don’t think seeding really means a lot. Our mindset was we just wanted to advance,” Baltic said of the upsets. “In the locker room, we have this board that says: graduate from Ohio University, win the MAC championship (regular season and tournament), make it to the NCAA Tournament, and advance in the tournament. These are our goals and we’ve been able to pretty much accomplish them so far.”

Averaging 8.9 points and 5 rebounds per game this season, it’s Baltic’s second appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2010, as a freshman he played every game in a season where 14^th seeded Ohio upset the third seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the first round.

“We weren’t expected to do good things then, this year is a little different because we’ve been pretty successful the whole season,” Baltic said. “This year we’re in the Sweet Sixteen, which hasn’t been done since 1964 so it’s been a good year for us, but we just have to stay hungry and humble.”

It’s a scenario the Ohio University coaching staff painted for Baltic when he was recruited out of high school and one that stood out compared to other schools he was being pursued by at the time. Baltic says Ohio told him not just the positives, but also the potential negatives of college basketball life.

“The whole coaching staff, they pretty much told me we could do some special things with my time here,” Baltic said. “The difference was they told me the ups and downs of what could happen instead of just the positives.”

The former Park Hill South standout was nominated as a McDonald’s High School All-America his senior year when he averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds per game for the Panthers. His talent and ability is still visible around Park Hill South in the form of plaques and recognition as he remains the school’s all-time scoring and rebound leader. Long-time Athletic Director John Sedler says Baltic is the best he’s ever watched.

“In my opinion, he is the best player to graduate from the Park Hill School District,” Sedler said. “He is a multi-skilled (hybrid) player that is effective on the perimeter as well as in the post area.  Today’s game really fits his skills; with all of the spread sets and dribble penetration being used he is very comfortable.”

Baltic echoes the description by calling his playing persona as a ‘versatile big’ by being willing to play whatever role the team needs.

“I can be whatever my team needs me to be. I think that’s a sacrifice anyone on our team is willing to make.”

Sacrifice is something Baltic is very familiar with when it comes to basketball. ‘Basketball junkie’ and ‘gym rat’ are just two of the words used to describe his work ethic, both past and present. At a young age, Baltic knew basketball was his way to college.

“Growing up, my parents didn’t really have a lot of money. We came from overseas. Just getting into college was going to be pretty hard,” Baltic, who was born in Bosnia, but has lived in Kansas City since second grade, said. “I didn’t think I could just get in by academics or money by themselves. I just worked my butt off every day. Fridays and Saturday nights when kids were out going and stuff, I was in the gym.”

Rattling off nearly a half dozen of his former Park Hill South coaches, Baltic gave credit and appreciation (both big and small) for the support he’s received in the past and to this day.

“I just appreciate all the love I’ve gotten from my family, former teammates, former coaches, and all the people who really helped me get here,” Baltic said. “Even people like the janitors at my high school, who would sometimes turn on the lights for me just so I could shoot in the gym. It’s just the little things like that I’m real thankful for and blessed to have the opportunity to be doing what I’m doing.”

Even at 21 years old and a possible professional career ahead of him, he offers a lesson in discipline, as he commonly does with his ability to solve a Rubik’s cube in nearly a minute, mentioning his desire to continue playing the game after college before quickly returning to the immediate task in front of him.

“I just want to stay around the game after I’m done here (at school),” Baltic said. “To be honest, I’m just focused on this season and winning. Too many times people think too much about the future and they forget to live in the present.”