Talk to Novak Topalovic for 30 seconds and his accent is the only indicator he’s an international transplant with limited college basketball experience.

Idaho State’s 7-foot redshirt sophomore from Serbia understands his weaknesses but isn’t shy about his strengths. He speaks nearly perfect English, through which he details his aspirations to be a dominant big man.

Topalovic has been thrust into a full-time starting role after seeing his first collegiate action last season. Returning starting center Kyle Ingram is out for the year with a back injury, making Topalovic the No. 1 option in the post.

Through seven games, Topalovic is making progress. He’s a focal point of the offense, with an ability to establish ideal position under the rim, and is the team’s leading rebounder.

But Topalovic still has a ways to go, and he knows it. He tends to rush baby jump-hooks at the rim and takes until the second half to get out of early-game funks. He started 1 for 8 against Utah Valley and missed his first four shots against Lamar.

“I need to learn how to convert,” Topalovic said. “I’m able to get to the rim, but then I miss basically layups.”

In the past, when he was in a reserve role, easy misses discouraged Topalovic. But with limited post depth and team-wide confidence in his abilities, Topalovic now knows he won’t be yanked from the game.

“I have to step up,” he said. “All these guys are depending on me to play good.”

Topalovic had his first double-figure scoring effort in ISU’s season debut against New Mexico and notched his first career double-double five days later against Utah Valley. He piled up six blocked shots Tuesday in a win over Lamar and is shooting 53.8 percent from the floor despite aforementioned first-half struggles.

Topalovic is averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game, marked improvements from a redshirt freshman season with 2.9 points and 4.1 boards in 13.8 minutes.

Topalovic is listed at the same weight — 230 pounds — on rosters from this season and last, but Bengals head coach Bill Evans said his biggest improvement stems from summer workouts.

“He’s gotten better because of what he did from March-October,” Evans said. “Lifting, getting stronger. ... He’s proven that he can score the ball. He feels good about himself.”

While Topalovic’s game is vastly different from Ingram’s, the senior’s most valuable trait for the sophomore to glean is patience at the rim. Ingram can hit a 12-foot jumper; Topalovic doesn’t leave they key. Ingram uses finesse in the paint to get defenders in the air and await his look; Topalovic catches, turns and puts up a shot without sizing up his scoring opportunity.

“I mostly just tell him to calm down and just let the game come to him,” Ingram said.

Topalovic is among the Big Sky leaders in rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots, and that’s another positive step. But with his size, athleticism and burgeoning basketball IQ, Topalovic is aiming for more.

“I also want to try and be dominant among the other conferences,” he said. “If I can do it there, it wont stop in the Big Sky.”