Justin Gainey, NC State add international big man to upcoming roster
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Slovenian big man Robert Jurković committed to N.C. State for next season.
- Jurković averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting over 54% last season.
- N.C. State's roster increased to 12 players after adding Jurković to the Pack.
Does N.C. State have an international superstar in the making? Maybe. But even if it doesn’t, the team added depth to the upcoming roster.
Slovenian big man Robert Jurković committed to play for the Pack next season. He previously spent three seasons with the ABA League, previously known as the Adriatic League.
He is listed at 6-9 and averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds last season, while shooting over 54% from the field and 36% from 3.
Jurković served as the backup behind Boban Marjanovic last season, making 36 appearances and averaging 18.3 minutes per game.
Through all three years, Jurković averaged 6.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and made 67 appearances.
During his time with the Slovenian national team, Jurković played alongside NBA star Luka Dončić during the 2025 EuroBasket Championship. The incoming big man also played for Slovenia during the 2025 European World Cup Qualifier, 2024 EuroBasket Qualifier and 2021 European World Cup Qualifier.
The new Wolfpack forward averaged 2.8 points and two rebounds during the four tournaments with the Slovenian national team.
He has international experience on the youth level, as well, playing in the 2022 FIBA U20 European Championship. Jurković contributed nearly 11 points and 4.2 rebounds across six games.
Jurković adds additional size and experience in the frontcourt. He will compete alongside 6-10 UC Irvine transfer Kyle Evans, 6-8 Washington State transfer Eemeli Yalaho and 6-9 returner Zymicah Wilkins.
He went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft and was an unrestricted free agent before returning to overseas basketball.
Details regarding Jurković’s eligibility have not been released. Based on Musa Sagnia’s experience, however, the Wolfpack’s newcomer could have multiple years available. That would allow Justin Gainey and his staff to continue building a group of core players for the future.
N.C. State now has a roster of 12 after the latest addition. It had 14 scholarship players a year ago.
