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Washington's pursuit of basketball talent has reportedly brought head coach Danny Sprinkle to Slovenia.
The FIBA U20 Eurobasket tournament is in the country's capital city of Ljubljana until Sunday, and Huskies forward Nikola Dzepina has been one of the stars of the event while representing Serbia, which advanced to the semifinals on Thursday with a 92-66 win against Greece. But Sprinkle's traveling to Europe to support his current player may also have another purpose on the other side of the bracket, where Slovenian guard Urban Kroflič has broken out as another one of the favorites for tournament MVP.
With Sprinkle in attendance, reports have suggested Washington leads the race to bring Kroflič stateside, with Big Ten foes Iowa and Rutgers close behind.
The 6-foot-6 left-handed guard led all scorers in Slovenia's quarterfinal on Thursday, pouring in 26 points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a 90-72 win over Türkiye. That win set up a semifinal matchup with France, while Dzepina's Serbian squad will take on Spain on the other side of the bracket.
Kroflič played in 24 games for Serbian squad BC Mega Superbet Beograd last season, averaging 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 28.4 minutes per game. Through 5 games at the U20 Eurobasket tournament, he is tied for No. 4 in points per game (16) and No. 6 in rebounds (6.8) and assists (4.4). He has also not recorded a plus-minus lower than 6 in the tournament.
Kroflič would be eligible to use the NCAA's previous eligibility rules if he enrolled at an American school in time for the 2026-27 season, since the NCAA is allowing players who enroll during the upcoming academic year to use either the previous rules or the new age-based ones, whichever are most beneficial to the athlete. At 20 years old, Kroflič would have four years of competition remaining under the new system, but up to five years under the old system.
Washington will likely be trying to get him to commit to coming as soon as possible, considering the Huskies have loaded up on international talent this offseason. Brazilian forward Wini Braga Silva, Croatian forward Boris Tisma, and Australian guard Tristan Devers have all already committed to the Huskies, adding to an international stable that already included Dzepina and French big Mady Traore. Kroflič would be the 15th member of the roster, the same number Washington carried last season, when you add transfers Parker Friedrichsen, Steele Venters, Ryan Beasley, and LeJuan Watts, freshman Lattimore Ford, and returners Wesley Yates III, Jasir Rencher, Lathan Sommerville, and walk-on BJ Roy.
If Dzepina and Kroflič can carry both of their countries past more established basketball powers on Saturday, they will meet in the Eurobasket final on Sunday. Expect Sprinkle to extend his stay in Slovenia and attend that one if it comes to pass.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington basketball showing interest in U20 Eurobasket breakout star
Continue reading...
The FIBA U20 Eurobasket tournament is in the country's capital city of Ljubljana until Sunday, and Huskies forward Nikola Dzepina has been one of the stars of the event while representing Serbia, which advanced to the semifinals on Thursday with a 92-66 win against Greece. But Sprinkle's traveling to Europe to support his current player may also have another purpose on the other side of the bracket, where Slovenian guard Urban Kroflič has broken out as another one of the favorites for tournament MVP.
With Sprinkle in attendance, reports have suggested Washington leads the race to bring Kroflič stateside, with Big Ten foes Iowa and Rutgers close behind.
The 6-foot-6 left-handed guard led all scorers in Slovenia's quarterfinal on Thursday, pouring in 26 points with 7 rebounds and 5 assists in a 90-72 win over Türkiye. That win set up a semifinal matchup with France, while Dzepina's Serbian squad will take on Spain on the other side of the bracket.
Kroflič played in 24 games for Serbian squad BC Mega Superbet Beograd last season, averaging 10.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 28.4 minutes per game. Through 5 games at the U20 Eurobasket tournament, he is tied for No. 4 in points per game (16) and No. 6 in rebounds (6.8) and assists (4.4). He has also not recorded a plus-minus lower than 6 in the tournament.
Kroflič would be eligible to use the NCAA's previous eligibility rules if he enrolled at an American school in time for the 2026-27 season, since the NCAA is allowing players who enroll during the upcoming academic year to use either the previous rules or the new age-based ones, whichever are most beneficial to the athlete. At 20 years old, Kroflič would have four years of competition remaining under the new system, but up to five years under the old system.
Washington will likely be trying to get him to commit to coming as soon as possible, considering the Huskies have loaded up on international talent this offseason. Brazilian forward Wini Braga Silva, Croatian forward Boris Tisma, and Australian guard Tristan Devers have all already committed to the Huskies, adding to an international stable that already included Dzepina and French big Mady Traore. Kroflič would be the 15th member of the roster, the same number Washington carried last season, when you add transfers Parker Friedrichsen, Steele Venters, Ryan Beasley, and LeJuan Watts, freshman Lattimore Ford, and returners Wesley Yates III, Jasir Rencher, Lathan Sommerville, and walk-on BJ Roy.
If Dzepina and Kroflič can carry both of their countries past more established basketball powers on Saturday, they will meet in the Eurobasket final on Sunday. Expect Sprinkle to extend his stay in Slovenia and attend that one if it comes to pass.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Washington basketball showing interest in U20 Eurobasket breakout star
Continue reading...
