Mark Pope and Kentucky have officially missed on Serbian superstar Nikola Kusturica

Nikola Kusturica will play for the UCLA Bruins this season.

Nikola Kusturica | Nikola Kusturica

Out of absolutely nowhere in June, a battle broke out for an elite international college basketball recruit. That player is Serbian superstar Nikola Kusturica, and he picked the UCLA Bruins. This was an interesting recruitment because for a while the Wildcats were in the lead, and at one point, a crystal ball came in for the Wildcats to land Kusturica. Then Dusty May’s departure from Michigan to the Dallas Mavericks played a role, but ultimately Mick Cronin got the job done.

Kentucky has a team that Mark Pope feels really good about, but Kusturica is a very good player. He will spend two seasons at UCLA and then head to the NBA Draft. I expect him to be a top five pick when he heads to the next level. He is that good a player. UCLA had some advantages in this recruitment that made it hard for Coach Pope and the staff, but they made a good run.

Mar 1, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks to his bench during the first half against the Auburn Tigers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now that Kusturica is off the table, the staff will go back to the drawing board to find new players for the 2026-27 roster. I believe the staff is going to get a big man to add to the roster who can relieve Malachi Moreno is Franck Kepnang isn’t able to stay healthy.

A name that makes sense is Marcus Spears Jr. The #1 player in the 2027 class is considering a reclass to the 2026 class, and the Wildcats will have a shot if he does end up making this move. I like Kentucky’s chances better if Spears Jr. stays in the 2027 class, but if he does reclass, Pope will have a good shot.

Jan 2, 2026; Mesa, AZ, USA; Dynamic Prep (TX) forward Marcus Spears Jr. (24) against Dream City (AZ) during the HoopHall West Tournament at Skyline High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The cousin of Spears Jr. is Ryan Hampton another five-star in the 2027 class who is committed to Kentucky. Big Blue Nation was hoping this would play a large factor in the recruitment of Spears Jr., but if he moves to the 2026 class, this might not be that big of a factor.

Missing on Kusturica stinks because, as he just proved in the FIBA 17U World Cup, this kid is going to be a superstar. At the end of the day, Kentucky has a really good roster, and this team is going to be special. The addition of Kusturica would have had an effect on the team chemistry that Pope has worked very hard to build. Kusturica is going to have a dominant season, and sadly, this will be for UCLA.

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