KU has a new basketball recruit, per reports, but will he play for the Jayhawks?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas added 24-year-old center Mihailo Mušikić to its 2026-27 roster.
- The NCAA age-based rule currently makes Mušikić ineligible.
- NCAA will review Mušikić’s prior pro play and enrollment timing before granting.
The Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball team added another commitment on Tuesday, according to multiple reports, for head coach Bill Self’s 2026-27 roster.
That player is 24-year-old center Mihailo Mušikić, an experienced 7-footer from Serbia.
He has played in Europe the last few years, appearing in 27 games for three different teams last season: Mladost MaxBet and Sloga Kraljevo of the Serbia KLS and Borac Mozzart of the ABA League. With those three clubs, he averaged 8.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 52.5% from the field.
Mušikić was also part of the 2022 Serbian squad that won gold in the 2022 FIBA U20 European Championship Division B Tournament. He averaged 11 points and three rebounds during that competition.
On paper, Mušikić looks to be a nice depth piece for KU’s corps of big men. He joins returnee Paul Mbiya and Charleston center Christian Reeves.
But here’s the thing: It remains unclear if, or at least when, Mušikić might actually arrive in Lawrence, as he must first gain academic eligibility. Under a new NCAA ruling, he would not currently be eligible to play for the Jayhawks or any other NCAA program.
The ruling states that a student-athlete’s eligibility starts with whichever comes first: the beginning of an academic term when the player first enrolls full-time and attends class; or the academic year after the player’s 19th birthday, if the athlete is born before Sept 1.
Once either happens, a student-athlete’s five-year eligibility period begins. And that five-year period cannot be stopped once it starts.
According to multiple reports, Mušikić’s birthday is March 25, 2002, so he would not qualify under the NCAA’s new rules.
All hope is not completely lost for Mušikić or the Jayhawks, however. The NCAA ruled that for student-athletes hoping to enroll in schools full-time after the 2025-26 academic year, or during the 2026-27 academic year, their eligibility can be reviewed under either the previous rules or the age-based system.
The rule that’s most beneficial to the student-athlete, according to the new NCAA guidelines, is the one that should be applied.
Since Mušikić played pro hoops in Europe, the NCAA will also be taking a closer look at when he started playing and how long he played.
If Mušikić does earn approval to join KU, the Jayhawks’ roster would have 14 scholarship players for 2026-27.
At the moment, all KU fans can do is wait ... and how long this review period may last is uncertain.
