Gonzaga center Filip Petrusev will leave school and sign an agreement with Serbian club Mega Bemax, Petrusev’s father Dejan told ESPN.
For now, Petrusev does not plan to withdraw from the NBA draft. You have until October 6, 10 days before the draft, to withdraw your name.
“There is a lot of uncertainty with the NCAA season,” said Petrusev. “Here I should be able to show some skills that Gonzaga couldn’t do and improve my draft stock.”
Petrusev, a 6-foot-11-inch big man from Serbia, played two seasons with Mark Few at Gonzaga. He averaged 6.5 points and 2.7 rebounds as a freshman before leaving as a sophomore and earning WCC Player of the Year honors. He averaged 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds last season, including nine double doubles and a 22-point, 15-rebound start against Oregon in November.
Petrusev is ranked No. 70 on the ESPN NBA Draft Ranking, ranking as the 12th center.
Their departure is a blow to Gonzaga, who was team number 1 in ESPN’s most recent Top 25 Way-Too-Early for the 2020-21 season. Few have had to replace starters Killian Tillie and Ryan Woolridge from last season, but rising sophomore Drew Timme and new five-star student Jalen Suggs were ready replacements in the lineup. Without Petrusev anchoring the low post, the Zags could go small with sophomore Anton Watson or use another big man like Pavel Zakharov or Oumar Ballo.
Few also expect two more NBA draft decisions from Corey Kispert and Joel Ayayi, who are testing the NBA draft. They have until August 3 to withdraw their names and return to Spokane.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony contributed to this report.
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