Expat Hoops Episode 039 with Dejan Vasiljevic

In episode 39 of Expat Hoops, we talk with the University of Miami’ s DJ Vasiljevic, who currently plays in his native Australia for the Sydney Kings. He was a four year player for the Canes in the mighty ACC prior to signing with the Kings, but it almost didn't turn out that way.

Following a strong showing for Australia in the 2019 Summer Universiade games, where he helped lead the Aussies to a Bronze medal finish, he was receiving plenty of interest from agents and teams seeing if he wanted to turn professional. He had finished his coursework and had graduated academically, but had a year remaining of athletic eligibility.

Coach Larranaga convinced DJ to stay for one more year, before he ultimately turned pro in 2020. Prior to signing on with the Sydney Kings, he was able to pursue a master's degree while showcasing his skills in the ACC for another season. Since signing a three year deal with Sydney, DJ has been highly successful. He quickly became one of the NBL’s best players for one of the best teams in Australia.

Currently DJ is rehabbing from an Achilles injury, but in our interview and other recent video clips, it is clear that DJ is about as close to 100% as you could hope for. It won't be long before he is back in the NBL playing at a high level. From there, he'll certainly have options whether it is in the NBL, the high levels of Europe, or even in the NBA.