Washington State has made a bold move by signing Dimitrije Vukicevic, a seven-footer from Serbia who played last season for Austria’s St. Polten, averaging 2.5 points in 10.6 minutes per game. The Cougars announced the signing on Monday, making Vukicevic their 13th scholarship player and expecting him to join as a true freshman.
Despite his limited experience, highlighted by a season-high 25-minute game where he scored 10 points, Washington State is banking on Vukicevic’s potential and physical stature at 7 feet tall. His performance indicates a preference for interior play, shooting an impressive 69% on two-pointers but attempting only 16 three-pointers, making 5 (31%). Notably, his free throw shooting was less consistent, sinking just 7 of 22 attempts (32%).
New WSU coach David Riley seems confident that Vukicevic will fit into his up-tempo, read-and-react offensive system, though his numbers suggest he may need time to adapt to American college basketball. There’s speculation that Vukicevic might redshirt his first season to further develop his skills.
Vukicevic played in the Austrian Basketball Superliga, Austria’s premier league, with St. Polten. This signing follows WSU’s acquisition of former Eastern Washington standout Casey Jones, who plans to join the team after a two-year church mission and a subsequent redshirt season to regain fitness and eligibility.
Jones, a Sammamish native who played at Wasatch Academy in Utah, averaged 12.6 points per game on 51% shooting last season, earning All-Big Sky second-team and all-conference defensive team honors. He becomes the fifth former Eastern Washington player to follow Coach Riley to Washington State, joining a growing roster of former Eagles including Cedric Coward, LeJuan Watts, Ethan Price, and Dane Erikstrup.
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