The Michigan men’s basketball team missed out on one of the most coveted international prospects in the freshman recruiting class, as Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica has reportedly committed to UCLA.
Kusturica’s recruitment came down to the wire, with 247Sports’ Travis Branham initially logging a Crystal Ball prediction in favor of Kentucky before removing it not long after that, signaling a pretty heated recruiting war. It seemed like things were trending in the right direction for the Wolverines, but all that changed once Dusty May left for the Dallas Mavericks.
Following May’s departure, all the predictions flipped over to the Bruins, giving Mick Cronin another highly regarded overseas prospect that could eventually transfer to Michigan and find more success a year from now. (sarcasm font…but not really).
This is really tough news, as Kusturica would have been a great fit for the Wolverines’ final remaining roster spot. He burst onto the recruiting scene during the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket Tournament, where he averaged 20 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 49.5 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three across 25.6 minutes per game en route to tournament MVP honors. That performance helped establish him as a coveted recruit and a future NBA player, with some of the way-too-early projections viewing him as a potential lottery pick in the 2028 NBA Draft.
All in all, this is a tough pill to swallow for interim head coach Mike Boynton Jr. and company. It’s especially tough considering that Kusturica was viewed, at one time, as a legitimate candidate to commit to Michigan. Instead, he will be going to a different school in the same conference. It’s completely understandable, but it’s also frustrating knowing what could have been.
For now, Boynton will continue working on retaining the current roster. The lone player yet to reaffirm his commitment to the Wolverines for next season is guard L.J. Cason.
