NC State is getting a close look at one of Europe’s most intriguing young wings today, and Matija Lukić arrives in Raleigh with a résumé that already reads like a pro’s.
The Serbian prospect is in the middle of a packed recruiting swing that will take him to seven official visits in eight days. According to ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Lukić is scheduled to visit Boston College, BYU, Duke, NC State, UNC, UConn and Utah between November 1st and November 8th. Washington is also reportedly interested.
That kind of pace says plenty about how sought-after he is.
Lukić is a 6-foot-9 wing who can shoot, has already played professionally in Spain, helped Serbia win two medals in international competition, and is starting to build real NBA Draft buzz. He’s only 17, but schools are treating him like a major prize.
Born in the Netherlands, Lukić represents Serbia internationally. His father, Aleksandar, played professionally, and Matija later moved to Spain to keep developing at the Pablo Laso Academy in Madrid. In 2025, he joined Casademont Zaragoza and has already gotten a taste of Spain’s professional game.
He’s not logging huge minutes yet, but he’s a 17-year old going up against grown men. That alone tells you how advanced his path already is.
There’s also some size uncertainty attached to him, as is often the case with international prospects. The article lists him at 6-foot-9, while FIBA lists him at 6-foot-7.
Either way, he profiles as a perimeter player who can handle shooting guard or small forward duties. It’s the kind of combination college coaches love: forward size with guard skills and shooting touch.
His performance at the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup only sharpened the attention. Lukić helped Serbia to a silver medal and averaged 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists across seven games while shooting 50.0% from the field and 41.9% from three-point range.
The biggest takeaway came when the competition tightened. In the quarterfinal against Lithuania, he scored 27 points and hit 4-of-8 from deep.
Against Turkey in the semifinal, he added 20 points and went 3-of-6 from three. Then in the championship game against the United States, he finished with 16 points and 4-of-6 shooting from long range.
Over those three elimination games, he totaled 63 points and made 11 of 20 three-pointers. Serbia fell 107-81 in the final, but Lukić matched up with some of the top 2027 prospects in America and held his own.
CJ Rosser led the United States with 23 points. He’s the #1 player in the 2027 recruiting class.
Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje, now a freshman at Duke, had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Cayden Daughtry added 15 points and is the #4 player nationally in the 2027 class and the #2 point guard.
Lukić’s 16 points were second on Serbia, behind only Nikola Kusturica, who erupted for 37. Kusturica is now a freshman at UCLA.
The jump Lukić made over the past year is hard to miss. At the 2025 FIBA U16 EuroBasket, he helped Serbia win gold while averaging 8.7 points per game and shooting 22.2% from three. One year later, he more than doubled his scoring at the U17 World Cup and turned into a far more dangerous shooter from the outside.
He also put on a show on October 25th, scoring 38 points in the championship game of an adidas Next Generation Tournament pre-qualifier in Rijeka, Croatia. He added seven rebounds and three blocks in a loss to Zentro Basket Madrid, but still earned MVP honors after averaging 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in the event.
Lukić’s profile also includes MVP honors from the 2026 Basketball Without Borders Next Up camp in Istanbul. That event, run by the NBA and FIBA, brings together promising international players and gives NBA-connected coaches and scouts a chance to evaluate them up close. Former NBA star Vlade Divac presented him with the award.
As for how he stacks up internationally, independent European scout Matteo Actis has reportedly ranked him sixth among European prospects born in 2009. NBA Draft Room currently has him projected as the No. 10 overall pick in its early 2028 mock draft.
So this isn’t some under-the-radar flyer. This is a prospect who already has NBA attention, international production and a long list of high-major suitors.
The college angle makes sense in the modern game. Lukić already has a professional opportunity in Spain, but the landscape has changed. With NIL compensation and new revenue-sharing opportunities, American schools can offer financial possibilities that weren’t there before, though eligibility and compensation details can vary.
For a player like Lukić, college basketball can offer competition, visibility, financial upside and a route toward the NBA.
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