Vasiljevic Named to Australia’s World University Games Team
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Dejan Vasiljevic of the University of Miami men’s basketball team has been selected to compete with Australia’s Emerging Boomers at the 30th World University Games, which will be held July 3-14 in Naples, Italy.
A rising senior from Melbourne, Australia, Vasiljevic was named to the team on Monday by Unisport Australia. This marks Vasiljevic’s second trip to the World University Games with Team Australia, as he also competed with the Emerging Boomers in 2017.
Sixteen teams will battle for the gold medal. The Emerging Boomers will take on Czech Republic, Israel and Mexico in Group A. The Australians must finish in the top two from their group to advance to the finals but classification games are played through to the last day to determine final standings. Live stream and stats information can be located via the official tournament website HERE.
Vasiljevic averaged 21.5 ppg and shot 45.3 percent from the field during the 2017 World University Games, as the Australians went 6-2 and took ninth place. Vasiljevic cracked the 20-point barrier five times, including a trio of 28-point efforts.
No stranger to competing for his country, Vasiljevic has shined during his international career. At the 2013 FIBA Oceania U-16 Championships, he led the team in scoring, putting up 19.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game. A year later, after being named the captain of the U-17 Australian team, Vasiljevic averaged 17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game and was named to the all-tournament team. At the 2014 FIBA U-18 Oceania Championships, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists and at the 2015 FIBA U-19 World Championships in Greece, he averaged 13.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists.
Vasiljevic is one of 11 American college players on the 12-man Australian team, joining Jonah Antonio (UNLV), George Blagojevic (Hartford), Kyrin Galloway (UNC Greensboro), Tanner Krebs (Saint Mary’s), Alex Mudronja (Saint Mary’s), Jock Perry (Saint Mary’s), Jack Purchase (Hawaii), Isaac White (Stanford), Jack White (Duke) and Kyle Zunic (Winthrop).
Vasiljevic averaged 11.8 ppg and 4.5 rpg during his junior season with the Hurricanes in 2018-19. He finished sixth in the ACC in 3-point field goals made per game (2.53/game) and hit three or more 3-pointers in 16 games. He has connected on 199 career 3-pointers, which ranks eighth in program history.
To keep up with the University of Miami men’s basketball team on social media, follow @CanesHoops on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Emerging Boomers Schedule for 2019 World University Games (all times Eastern):
July 4: Israel, 11:30 a.m.
July 5: Mexico, 4:30 a.m
July 6: Czech Republic, 2 p.m.
July 8: Quarterfinals
July 9: Semifinals
July 11: Medal games
