Dayton trip paved way for center Vuk Lazarevic to commit to Ohio State

It was a two-game trip to Ohio that first put Vuk Lazarevic on Ohio State’s radar.

A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Lazarevic’s interest in playing in the United States led to a senior season at Mount Pleasant (Utah) Wasatch Academy. There, the 7-foot-1 center played his way into the starting lineup while the Tigers played a national schedule as part of the Nike EYBL Scholastic league that included an appearance at the annual Flyin’ to the Hoop event in Kettering, Ohio.

There, Wasatch played two games and defeated both Glendale (Arizona) Dream City Christian and Cleveland St. Ignatius. Against the former, Lazarevic had 6 points, seven rebounds and a block in 16:53, while against the latter he had 7 points and five rebounds in 14 minutes.

The performance came with Ohio State coaches in the stands, and that mid-January event started a process that led to Lazarevic committing to the Buckeyes in the 2026 class.

“Ohio State started following me back in January when we had a tournament in Dayton,” Lazarevic said. “They started talking to my agent about me and everything, and because of that, mostly, I have the best connections with the coaches in Ohio State. They showed the most interest about me, and because of that mostly I chose Ohio State.”

It was the latest step in a long line of growth both on and off the floor. An unranked prospect in the 247Sports.com rankings, Lazarevic said he stood roughly 6-4 when he started high school in Serbia and steadily grew seven inches taller. That led to a shift from a spot on the wing to one near the basket, one helped by his father’s basketball background as a center.

His development put him on the radar of multiple prep schools in the U.S., but Lazarevic said he picked Wasatch ahead of others such as Bel Aire (Kansas) Sunrise Christian Academy and Boston CATS Academy because it better suited him.

“I came to Wasatch because it’s a little in the middle of nowhere and because of that, here we have only like basketball and school and that’s it,” he said. “I’m like, OK, this is the best place for me to like improve my skill and everything.”

At Wasatch, Lazarevic earned a day-one starting spot and averaged 8 points, 4.8 rebounds and a team-high 1.2 blocks per game while helping the Tigers earn a No. 7 seed in the Chipotle Nationals tournament.

He credited his ability to earn the starting job to his selfless attitude to the game. Asked what his favorite thing is to do on the court, Lazarevic listed passing before mentioning scoring around the rim.

“I like to play for my teammates,” he said. “I think that and my basketball IQ helped me (at Wasatch).”

Lazarevic said his top memory of the season showcased those abilities. Against Iowa United in Los Angeles on Valentine’s Day, Lazarevic played more than 39 minutes of a quadruple-overtime win, blocking five shots in the extra periods including the game-sealing rejection on Western Michigan signee Jordan Sigmon with two seconds left to cement a two-point win.

It capped a game in which Lazarevic finished with 10 points and nine rebounds while battling Arafan Diane, a 7-1, 290-pound center who is a five-star prospect in the 247Sports.com composite.

“Yeah, (protecting the rim) is really part of my game,” he said. “I’m trying to be on every part of the court to help my teammate to guard the basket and everything. I’m trying to mostly help my teammates.”

Asked what he hopes Ohio State fans will see from him as a freshman, Lazarevic said, “Rim protection, rebounds, baskets around the rim. Passing abilities.”

When the season got underway, Lazarevic said schools such as UC Irvine and UC Davis showed interest but did not offer him scholarships. By season’s end, both Ohio State and UConn hosted him on campus before he picked the Buckeyes. That head start Ohio State got after seeing him in January made him comfortable with the program and assistant coach Luke Simons in particular.

“He mostly practices with the big guys,” Lazarevic said. “He showed me the most interest and he showed me he really wants to work with me. And he showed me he really believes in me.”

Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dayton trip paved way for center Vuk Lazarevic to commit to Ohio State

Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch

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