Top Serbian prospect Nikola Kusturica linked to Gonzaga and Kentucky among others
Gonzaga may not be finished adding young talent or international flavor to its 2026-27 roster.
Nikola Kusturica, a 17-year-old wing who split time playing for FC Barcelona's senior team and U-22 squad this season, has been linked to a few of the top programs in college basketball, including Gonzaga, Kentucky, Michigan and UCLA.
Given that he won't be eligible for the NBA Draft next season, the native of Serbia is reportedly mulling a two-year college commitment before making a jump to the NBA in 2028.
According to the Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, Kentucky is considered to be the current frontrunner to land Kusturica, with Gonzaga and Michigan also making a push for the young FC Barcelona prospect.
"He's down to three schools it sounds like, it sounds like it's Kentucky, Gonzaga and Michigan probably," Goodman said Wednesday on the Field of 68's YouTube channel. "But Kentucky is the clear favorite at this point and I had somebody tell me involved in his recruitment ... they think the money is huge here, huge for Kentucky."
Other outlets, including 247Sports.com, have indicated Kusturica's recruitment is still wide open. Travis Branham, a recruiting analyst for 247Sports, initially gave a "crystal ball" to Kentucky, suggesting the Wildcats had emerged as the favorite, but later pulled it down writing "other teams are more legitimate threats to land the international star than sources indicated."
Those may not be the only options for Kusturica, who's also considering UCLA, a return to FC Barcelona or one season at Ohio-based prep school Spire Academy, according to college basketball reporter and content producer Ant Wright.
Kusturica had a breakthrough performance last summer at 2025 FIBA U-16 EuroBasket, where he earned Most Valuable Player honors while leading Serbia to a gold medal. He finished fourth in the tournament averaging 20.0 points per game to go along with 7.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Playing alongside Duke commit Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje on Barcelona's U-22 team, Kusturica averaged 13.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.9 apg and 1.5 spg over 19 games last season. He also made nine appearances for Barcelona's senior team in Liga Endesa play, averaging 2.3 ppg in 6.0 mpg.
The Zags already have four international players signed or committed to the 2026-27 roster. The group includes two projected starters in sophomore point guard Mario Saint-Supery, a native of Spain, and Senegalese center Massamba Diop, who transferred from Arizona State.
Real Madrid forward and Spanish native Izan Almansa committed to the Zags last month, but is expected to require an NCAA eligibility waiver after previously playing in the G League and going through the NBA Draft process last month.
Most recently, Gonzaga picked up a commitment from French guard Juwan Ekanga Ehawa, who will arrive this fall with four years of eligibility after playing for the youth and senior team at LNB Pro A club JL Bourg.
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