{"id":713966,"date":"2026-06-04T04:00:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T04:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/713966\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T04:00:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T04:00:11","slug":"uconn-mens-basketball-teams-newest-7-footer-comes-from-europe-by-way-of-arkansas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/713966\/","title":{"rendered":"UConn men\u2019s basketball team\u2019s newest 7-footer comes from Europe by way of Arkansas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elmir D\u017eafi\u0107, a 7-foot native of Bosnia and Herzegovina, is transferring from Arkansas to UConn for his sophomore season. He\u2019s known for his size and strength. <\/p>\n

STORRS, Conn. \u2014 The UConn men\u2019s basketball<\/a> program continued its active offseason this week with the addition of a seven-footer from Europe.<\/p>\n

Elmir D\u017eafi\u0107 will arrive in Storrs for his sophomore season after transferring from Arkansas, where spent a year under Hall of Fame head coach John Calipari.<\/p>\n

D\u017eafi\u0107 has potential to be a powerful frontcourt threat. He must first develop.\u00a0<\/p>\n


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The native of Tinja, a rural community in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, caught the attention to two-time national champion UConn head coach Dan Hurley.<\/p>\n

\u201cElmir is a big, strong, physical prospect who has high-major experience,\u201d Hurley said on Tuesday. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to add his size and strength to the frontcourt group.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: Hear from Dan Hurley what the 4 newest UConn men\u2019s basketball players bring to the table<\/a><\/p>\n

In his freshman year at Arkansas, D\u017eafi\u0107 only played in seven games, totaling three points, a rebound, a block and a steal.<\/p>\n

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That said, he has experience playing on the competitive European stage. Before his lone season in Fayetteville, D\u017eafi\u0107 played two years for KK Bosna Royal in Sarajevo in the BiH Liga, the top level in Bosnia and Herzegovina.<\/p>\n

During that stretch, he combined to appear in 17 games in 2023-24 and 2024-25, averaging 2.4 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 69.6% from the field.<\/p>\n

D\u017eafi\u0107 made his debut in the First League of Republika Srpska in 2022-23 with Budu\u0107nost BN in Bileljina. There, he averaged 3.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 25 games.<\/p>\n

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UConn\u2019s newest big man has had more success on the international stage, as part of the Bosnian National Team at the 2023 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B.<\/p>\n

In eight appearances that year, D\u017eafi\u0107 averaged a double-double with 13.1 points and 10 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n

While he hasn\u2019t had much experience on the court as a collegiate athlete, D\u017eafi\u0107 should have an immediate opportunity to compete for playing time in Storrs.<\/p>\n

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Following last season, the Huskies lost both of their big men.<\/p>\n

After a historic NCAA Tournament, Tarris Reed Jr. ran out of eligibility and is moving onto the NBA. Meanwhile, former McDonald\u2019s All-American Eric Reibe transferred out after his freshman year in favor of Southern California.<\/p>\n

Hurley quickly added several pieces to secure more frontcourt depth.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Dan Hurley, UConn men land Seton Hall big man Najai Hines in transfer portal<\/a><\/p>\n

Early in the transfer portal, he landed highly sought after big man Najai Hines, who played his freshman season at Seton Hall.<\/p>\n

Then, the Huskies signed Oskar Giltay, a Belgian who played his freshman year at Stanford, where he earned recognition for his stout defense.<\/p>\n

Despite those two additions, new roles have not yet been established, and D\u017eafi\u0107 will have a chance to be the backup big man.<\/p>\n

When summer camp begins, D\u017eafi\u0107 may be the largest Husky on the practice floor.<\/p>\n

Only time will tell if he can use that size to his advantage and find his way onto the court next winter when it counts. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Dalton Zbierski is a digital editor and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at\u00a0dzbierski@FOX61.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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