Oklahoma State Signs Serbian Center Andrija Vukovic

A big Serbian has been dominating the NBA lately. Well, OSU now has a big Serbian.

Oklahoma State signed 6-foot-11 Andrija Vukovic. Vukovic joins the Cowboys as a freshman, having most recently played in Serbia for KK Vrsac (a professional league in Serbia), where he averaged 6.1 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13 minutes a game while shooting 66% from the foul line.

“To get a player and person of Andrija’s caliber is a big win for Oklahoma State, especially this late in the summer,” said Steve Lutz in OSU’s release. “He is a strong, physical guy who moves well and can defend and finish around the rim. Competing at highest level of Serbian basketball should help speed up Andrija’s development and make for a smooth transition to the Big 12. We’re excited to welcome him to Stillwater and Cowboy Basketball Family.”

Vukovic spent the 2022-23 season playing for a U19 team in the Junior ABA League, where he averaged 17 points, 7.5 rebounds and three assits a game while shooting 65% from the floor and playing against people from his own age group.

While being a center, Vukovic has also shown at times to be a capable 3-point shooter. During a game with KK Vrsac last season, he scored a season-high 24 points in a game in which he went 3-for-3 from deep. Those were three of only six 3-point attempts he put up in the 22 games he played with Vrsac, but he made 67% of those shots. He shot 57% from the foul line, per Eurobasket.

Wisconsin announced that it had signed Vukovic in June, but somehow he has instead made his way to Stillwater.

This is a big get for the Pokes in a few aspects. For starters, Vukovic seems like a solid player, but more importantly, he provides the Cowboys some much-needed size. Before Vukovic’s signing, the Cowboys had one player listed taller than 6-foot-8 in Xavier transfer Abou Ousmane, who is listed at 6-9. Vukovic fills the Cowboys’ last remaining open scholarship and becomes the 10th (!!!) new player Lutz has signed since taking over.

Serbia’s footprint in the basketball landscape has gotten much bigger in recent years, led by Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. Jokic led the Serbians to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games. The Oklahoma City Thunder are also getting in on the Serbian action, as they drafted Nikola Topic with the 12th overall pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. The Thunder also took Aleksej Pokusevski in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft, but Poku was traded away from the franchise last season.