USC Basketball: Nikola Vucevic Opts to Forgo Senior Year for NBA Draft

The USC Trojans will need to groom a new power forward for next season.

Nikola Vucevic, who averaged 17.1 points and 10.3 rebounds in his junior season, announced on Friday that he is forgoing his season and will enter the NBA Draft.

Vucevic also announced he has retained agent Rade Filipovich of BDA Sports Management, who has known Vucevic’s father for more than 30 years.

Borislav Vucevic played professionally overseas for several years.

Vucevic decided that his best chance would be to enter the draft now, knowing that the current crop of draftees is among the weakest in several years. Vucevic would also have the option of playing overseas, should the NBA opt for a lockout when the current CBA expires on June 30.

"If there is a lockout," Vucevic told the LA Times, "I’m from Europe so I have a chance to go and play overseas."

USC finished the season at 19-15 after losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Virginia Commonwealth.

Vucevic would be the second big man lost to USC, after the departure of senior forward Alex Stepheson.

USC coach Kevin O’Neill hopes that transfers James Blasczyk, Dewayne Dedmon and Aaron Fuller will be able to fill their shoes.

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