Just when you thought theOhio Statebasketball team was finished adding to the roster, we get a bit of a surprise. 7-foot-1 Serbian center,Vuk Lazarevic, who played in the United States this past season, committed to the Buckeyes on Friday for the 2026 recruiting cycle, according to Joe Tipton of On3.
Even though Lazarevic wasn't on too many radars, he did visit UConn earlier and is a late bloomer who has a diversified game. As with many big men from Europe, the Belgrade, Serbia native can do a little bit of everything, including score around the paint, step out to hit perimeter shots, and look to pass and set up teammates.
Laxarevic joins 5-star freshman wingAnthony Thompsonand 4-star forwardAlex Smithin the 2026 recruiting class and makes it a crowded center position with three others on the roster. He'll be competing with redshirt seniorJosh Ojianwuna,Kentuckytransfer and juniorAndrija Jelavić, and returning juniorIvan Njegovan.
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Laxarevic is seen as a developing project that can also defend the paint, so we'll see where and how Ohio State uses him in the era of trying to keep players happy because of Name, Image and Likeness and the transfer portal.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire:Ohio State basketball receives surprise commitment from Serbian center