Wisconsin basketball targeting pair of international recruits from Serbia

Wisconsin men's basketball is exploring international options to round out its 2025-26 roster, including two Serbian prospects from KK Mega Basket.

Mandatory Credit: Badgernotes.com Photographer Aaron Frey.

You don’t overhaul a roster overnight—and in today’s game, you don’t do it without casting a wide net. That’s the reality for the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball program right now as Greg Gard and his staff look to put the finishing touches on the 2025-26 roster.

Most of the heavy lifting is done. But there’s still one intriguing subplot unfolding overseas that could change how we view the final product.

Enter: Mihailo Petrovic and Filip Jovic, a pair of Serbian prospects out of KK Mega Basket—the same European club that produced NBA superstar Nikola Jokić.

Petrovic is a 6-foot-3 point guard with feel, tempo, and real playmaking ability. Jovic is a 6-foot-8 forward with face-up scoring ability and some intriguing versatility. Both have shown interest in joining the Wisconsin Badgers.

Both have been in touch with the coaching staff—and both are in wait-and-see mode. The holdup? Visa clearance.

A BadgerNotes correspondent at Buckys Burrow reported that immigration logistics have delayed any potential move to Madison, which Petrovic shared when asked where things stand with Wisconsin.

“The plan is for me to come to the University of Wisconsin,” Petrovic said. “Right now I don’t have any sure information, but I think and hope that I will become a part of the Badgers family.”

He also noted that Jovic is in a similar situation.

This isn’t a matter of whether or not there’s mutual interest—it’s about working through the red tape. And while timelines are still up in the air, the sense is that if the visa situation gets cleared, Wisconsin will be ready to welcome both players into the basketball program with open arms.

Let’s zoom out.

Wisconsin’s staff hasn’t been sitting on its hands. With the departures of All-American wing John Tonje, starters Max Klesmit and Steven Crowl, and key role players like Carter Gilmore and Kamari McGee, there’s been a lot of production to replace—and the Badgers have been aggressive in finding the right fits to come in and play minutes right away.

To compensate for these departures, the Badgers have landed commitments from three players through the transfer portal: Nick Boyd, a guard from San Diego State; Andrew Rohde, a guard from Virginia; and Austin Rapp, a stretch forward from Portland. These additions are each expected to play meaningful roles for Coach Gard this upcoming season.

All three bring experience. All three can shoot. And all three fit within what the Badgers want to do on the offensive end.

Wisconsin’s 2025 recruiting class also includes three promising high school players: Zach Kinziger, a shooting guard from De Pere, Wisconsin; Will Garlock, a center from Middleton (Wis.); and Hayden Jones, a guard from New Zealand.

These recruits are anticipated to round out the team's depth and serve as developmental pieces for the future.

So why are Petrovic and Jovic still a storyline worth tracking? Simple: they don’t profile as long-term projects.

They’ve been playing against grown men in Serbia. And in Petrovic’s case, he’s been averaging 13.7 points, 7.9 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting 49.2% from the field across 25 appearances—a stat line that reflects both proven production and high-level playmaking ability that would fill a need.

At 23 years old, Petrovic brings a blend of experience and skill that could help him carve out a bench role right away—especially with McGee no longer on the roster and Daniel Freitag headed to Buffalo after entering the portal.

Meanwhile, Jovic averaged 12.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game on 57.3% shooting from the floor. Notably, he poured in 16 points and grabbed seven boards against NBA G League United.

That’s not nothing.

At 20 years old, he’s in a good spot physically and looks like a potential asset in pick-and-roll situations—able to finish strong around the rim but also stretch the floor with a capable 3-point shot.

He could be a strong candidate to help fill the void left behind by Gilmore and outgoing transfer forward Xavier Amos.

The bigger picture here is this: Wisconsin is playing the international recruiting game in a serious way now.

Whether it’s Hayden Jones or Jackson Ball from New Zealand, Riccardo Greppi from Italy, or this potential Serbian tandem in Petrovic and Jovic, the staff has leaned into expanding its recruiting footprint overseas—and for a program built on player development, that’s a smart move in the modern transfer portal era.

"If there's an agent involved with the European player, which there is a lot of times. It's very professional," Kirk Penney said. "They're used to having players that are older. Here's my player, here's the team, there is a conversation, here's a contract. Let's go. It is quite transactional."

Of course, nothing is guaranteed. Visa issues are complicated. Timelines can shift. But the Badgers are positioned well. They’ve already addressed the immediate needs in the transfer portal.

They’ve brought in long-term upside through high school recruiting. And Wisconsin has left the door open for a pair of high-level international talents to join if the paperwork clears.

With Boyd and Rohde in the backcourt alongside John Blackwell (presumably), Rapp and Nolan Winter stretching the floor in the frontcourt, the Badgers are setting themselves up to space the floor and hunt mismatches—exactly the kind of modern offensive approach that Gard and Kirk Penney have been leaning into.

The Badgers roster is far from set at this point, but the outline and vision for next year are becoming clearer.

There’s no time to be patient anymore—you have to use the resources at your disposal to get old and stay old, even if that means recruiting over some of your own guys. Experience and depth are the currency of modern college basketball, and the Badgers are trying to add another piece of the puzzle that makes you think they could be back in contention.

Should Petrovic and Jovic make it to Wisconsin, they’ll bolster an already promising roster. If not, expect the staff to keep exploring the portal and evaluating potential fits that could slot into the rotation next season. But don’t confuse this wait with inactivity. The Badgers saw a chance to upgrade their roster—and they’re doing everything they can to see it through. These things take time.

Wisconsin’s doing what smart programs do—checking every box, leaving no stone unturned, and staying aggressive.

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