Utah basketball to host Serbian prospect Matija Lukic on official visit
Nov 5, 2026, 6:30 PM
Serbia G Matija Lukic. Photo courtesy Getty Images.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah basketball will get its opportunity Sunday to make a pitch to Serbian wing Matija Lukic, a rising international prospect whose recruitment includes several of college basketball’s most established programs.
Lukic will officially visit Utah on Nov. 8, following a stop at BYU on Saturday, Nov. 7. The 17-year-old’s itinerary includes seven official visits over eight days, with Boston College, Duke, N.C. State, North Carolina and UConn also on the schedule.
The tour began Nov. 1, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
NEWS: 17-year-old Serbian wing Matija Lukić, one of the top international prospects in the class of 2027, is taking seven official visits in eight days starting Sunday, a source tells DraftExpress:
Boston College
BYU
Duke
N.C. State
UNC
UConn
UtahWashington is also involved. https://t.co/XeAewgOWKm
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 31, 2026
Utah’s European recruiting connections
For Alex Jensen and his staff, the visit offers a significant opportunity in the 2027 recruiting class. It also reflects the importance of European recruiting to the program Jensen is building.
Asked Wednesday about that avenue, Jensen pointed to his staff’s overseas relationships and his belief that Utah can appeal to international players.
“I truly believe this is a place the European kids have come and liked and enjoyed, at the college level or even at the professional level,” Jensen said. “So I think it’s going to be huge for us.”
Lukic provides a compelling example of the talent available.
What Matija Lukic brings to the court
Currently playing for Casademont Zaragoza in Spain, he helped Serbia earn a silver medal at this summer’s FIBA U17 World Cup. He averaged 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists, shooting 50% from the field and 41.9% from 3-point range.
His strongest performances came as the tournament stakes increased. Lukic scored 27 points against Lithuania in the quarterfinals, adding six rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. He followed with 20 points against Turkey in the semifinals, then finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists against the United States in the championship game.
Footage from Matija Lukić’s 38-point explosion in last Sunday’s adidas NextGen EuroLeague pre-qualifying tournament final.
Lukić was named MVP of the NBA’s Basketball Without Borders Next Up camp and averaged 16.1 points for Serbia’s silver-medal team at the FIBA U17 World Cup. https://t.co/NggbcDPnSY
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) October 31, 2026
The perimeter shooting came with meaningful volume. Lukic made 18 of 43 attempts from beyond the arc during the seven-game tournament, including four of six against the Americans. That production gives college coaches reason to envision a wing who can stretch defenses and provide another scoring option without needing every possession to run through him.
His résumé has continued to grow. Lukic earned MVP honors at the Basketball Without Borders Next Up camp in Istanbul, an event featuring 78 prospects from 44 countries and territories. More recently, he scored 38 points in the championship game of an adidas NextGen EuroLeague pre-qualifying tournament in Rijeka.
He also has experience beyond youth competition, having appeared for Zaragoza in the FIBA Europe Cup against senior professionals.
An opportunity for Jensen and Utah
Utah faces a difficult recruiting battle for Lukic. With Duke, North Carolina and UConn among his options, Jensen’s staff will have to make a very compelling case against programs with championship résumés and established paths to the NBA.
But the Utes have relationships working in their favor. Those connections give Utah an opening, even if they don’t make it the favorite.
“I think because of who they are and where they’ve been, we get into a lot of conversations we might not otherwise do,” Jensen said of his assistants on the recruiting trail. “There’s always the balance of the money and the fit and how the pieces fit together.”
That is where Utah’s pitch will have to carry weight. The staff’s relationships can help establish trust, but Lukic will also need to see a development plan and a role that make sense for his future.
Jensen expects those European connections to remain an important part of Utah’s recruiting approach.
“And I think just because of my staff, it’s a little more streamlined,” Jensen said. “So yeah, it’s going to be big to us, just like local kids.”
Getting Lukic to campus is a meaningful opportunity. Winning his commitment would be a much bigger step. Sunday gives Utah a chance to show why its people, plan and opportunity deserve consideration alongside the bigger names on his itinerary.
