Kentucky Basketball may be on the verge of one more big-time recruiting win to cap off the 2026-27 roster.
The BBN learned recently that Kentucky was making a push for international prospect Nikola Kusturica, a 6-foot-9 wing from Serbia who is already firmly on NBA radars. While the Wildcats are in the mix, Gonzaga was thought to be the leader, as the Zags have a bigger need right now, and they’ve been on him for longer.
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Well, there may have been a shift in this recruitment, as 247 Sports’ Travis Branham just logged a prediction for Kentucky to land Kusturica with a confidence level of 7. This would be a massive late addition for Mark Pope and Co. that would keep his recent hot streak going after the offseason got off to a rough start.
Back in the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket Tournament, Kusturica averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 49.5% from the field and 30.8% on 3-pointers across 25.6 minutes per game. He was named MVP of the tournament and is now being projected as a lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft.
NBA Draft Room currently has Kusturica projected to go No. 2 overall in the 2028 draft. That tells you just how highly thought of he is already. And because he has to play two seasons of college basketball — he just recently turned 17 — there’s a good chance he’ll become a star player for some lucky program before he leaves for the NBA.
And Kentucky may just be who he decides to play for.
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