Canes Sign Aussie Standout, Dejan Vasiljevic
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Head men’s basketball Coach Jim Larrañaga and the University of Miami have announced the signing of Dejan Vasiljevic to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Hurricanes.
“DJ is a tough, hard-nosed defender with a unique set of offensive skills which allows him to fill up the basket from deep range. He has a high basketball IQ and a great feel for the game,” said Larrañaga. “We are excited to have DJ join the Hurricanes program. We like recruiting student-athletes who come from winning situations and DJ has proven himself to be a great competitor in championships on the international level.”
Vasiljevic is a 6-foot-2-inch combo guard from Melbourne, Australia, who has the experience of playing in FIBA World Championships.
At the 2015 FIBA U-19 World Championships in Greece, he averaged 13.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. At the 2014 FIBA U-18 Oceania Championships, Vasiljevic had a solid showing, posting averages of 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Vasiljevic was named to the all-tournament team at the 2014 U-17s, where he averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, leading his team to the silver medal. He was also the leading scorer at the 2013 FIBA Oceania U-16 Championships, putting up 19.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
He has won a national title with the Victorian U-18s team, was the captain of the U-17 Australian team and played in the 2015 Basketball Without Borders Camp. He also participated in the prestigious adidas Nations Tournament in Los Angeles and played at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).
After graduating from high school at the Centre of Excellence, Vasiljevic played in the U20 National Championships in Ipswich where he averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists, hitting 48 percent of his shots. He notched 20+ points in three games, with a high of 25 in his first outing.
Vasiljevic is a guard who can run the point and has a deadly 3-point shot with a good pull-up midrange jumper. At 195 pounds, he has a strong build that allows him to get in the lane offensively, and adds to his strength as a hard-nosed defender who plays with positive energy and passion.
Vasiljevic, who goes by DJ, was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, but grew up in Melbourne, Australia. He chose to attend Miami over offers from LSU, Louisville and Stanford, among others.
