Just when you thought the Ohio State basketball team was finished adding to the roster, we get a bit of a surprise. 7-foot-1 Serbian center, Vuk Lazarevic, who played in the United States this past season, committed to the Buckeyes on Friday for the 2026 recruiting cycle, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
Even though Lazarevic wasn’t on too many radars, he did visit UConn earlier and is a late bloomer who has a diversified game. As with many big men from Europe, the Belgrade, Serbia native can do a little bit of everything, including score around the paint, step out to hit perimeter shots, and look to pass and set up teammates.
Laxarevic joins 5-star freshman wing Anthony Thompson and 4-star forward Alex Smith in the 2026 recruiting class and makes it a crowded center position with three others on the roster. He’ll be competing with redshirt senior Josh Ojianwuna, Kentucky transfer and junior Andrija Jelavić, and returning junior Ivan Njegovan.
Laxarevic is seen as a developing project that can also defend the paint, so we’ll see where and how Ohio State uses him in the era of trying to keep players happy because of Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State basketball receives commitment from 7-foot-1 Serbian center
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
