Freshman Nikola Kusturica had a modest NCAA debut, scoring nine points in a surprising UCLA Bruin win over No. 5 Arizona. On Friday against North Florida, Kusturica took center stage.
Kusturica had a first half of legend, outscoring North Florida by himself and not missing a single shot. Kusturica did it all too, flashing his defensive potential, hitting four three-pointers and overwhelming North Florida
with his length.UCLA has Kusturica listed at 6’9” but with his impressive wingspan, it feels as if Kusturica is everywhere on the court. That length will lead to countless steals this season, as opponents just will not be accustomed to facing such a mobile and long wing defender.
Nikola Kusturica is so fluid and such a functional mover for his
size. He's elite. 29 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 BLK, 0 TO on 10/12 FG and 4/6 3PT for UCLA in last night's W over North Florida. Can't imagine how good he'll be with more experience and strength downhill.…
— JPR (@Scouting_Col) November 7, 2026
Following his impressive performance, where he put up 29 points with six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, Kusturica spoke to the media in the postgame press conference. When asked what was going on in his mind during his amazing first half, Kusturica kept it real.
“Nothing to be honest. Just keep playing,” Kusturica said. “Shot after shot, I shot it and didn’t even think. I don’t think like ‘I’m hot’. I don't think that’s a good expression. I just kept shooting, I saw the ball go in and I just kept shooting.”
Why overthink it? Since Kusturica arrived in Los Angeles, he’s been a coach’s dream, playing hard on both sides of the ball and it culminated with the breakout game on Friday. Teammate Eric Dailey Jr. knew he was witnessing something special from his young teammate.
“Nah, not as a freshman. Especially at 17,” Dailey said when asked if he had seen another college performance like he saw from Kusturica on Friday. “I felt it when he shot the first shot and it went in. I was like ‘Oh, he might have a night’ then he shot the next one, I was like ‘Ohhh’ then he got those fast breaks.”
It took just two games but it sure does look like UCLA has a star on their hands with 17-year old freshman Nikola Kusturica. Kusturica credited his teammates for helping him adjust to the college game.
“When I came here, I was struggling a little bit, just adjusting to the college game and Eric especially helped me a lot just overcome the things that I was facing. Trent (Perry) also but Eric especially,” Kusturica said. “First couple of weeks for me have been tough just adjusting to Coach Cronin’s system and just the game. The guys have helped me a lot.”
It looks like Kusturica’s initial struggles might be behind him, as he looks like a future star for the sport.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA freshman Nikola Kusturica speaks after his breakout performance
