Lucky No. 13: Croatian big joins UNM, Olen
Tomislav Buljan looks to score in a game on Dec. 22, 2023 against Cedevita Ol in the Croatia-Premijer Liga. Photo couresey of Cedevita Olimpija/Filip Barbalic
Size matters in the Mountain West Conference.
On Friday, UNM men’s basketball added some much-needed frontcourt depth.
On his Instagram profile, Tomislav Buljan, a six-foot-nine forward from Zadar, Croatia, announced his commitment to Eric Olen and the Lobos.
Buljan will turn 23 in November.
He’s played seven seasons of professional basketball in Europe. Bujlan most recently played for KK Cedevita Junior Zagreb in Croatia’s top pro league in 2024-25.
Last season, Buljan averaged 12.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals per game for Cedevita Junior.
He was recently named the Croatia-Primijer Liga’s Hoops Agent Player of the Week after a May 3 performance in which he scored 20 points, nabbed 18 rebounds and had 12 assists.
Bujlan made his most significant impact on the glass last season for Cedevita Junior. In 13 games, he grabbed double-digit rebounds.
He had 16 games in which he pulled down five or more offensive rebounds in one game.
Buljan can also run the floor in transition and impact the game with high-energy plays on both offense and defense. His highlights include explosive dunks, put-backs, and strong finishes at the rim.
Eligibility
To say that Buljan is a freshman with guaranteed four years of eligibility may be overstating it. Buljan joins a growing trend of European professional basketball players who have traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to play NCAA college basketball.
Under its current bylaws, the NCAA's eligibility for former professional players is unclear.
To be eligible, players can only have received “actual and necessary expenses” — in the form of lodging, healthcare, equipment, etc.- and no additional compensation from the teams they played for before college.
Last year, two European players who appeare to be similarly situated to Buljan did not get the full four years after making the jump to the NCAA.
After playing three seasons in Montenegro, Tomislav Ivicic played for Illinois in 2024-25. Photo courtesy of the University of Illinois
Tomislav Ivisic starred at Illinois last season after playing three seasons with SC Derby in Podgorica, Montenegro.
According to a report from IlliniGuys, Ivisic had to fight an eligibility battle with the NCAA and was forced to make an undisclosed financial repayment of the salary he earned from playing for SC Derby, in a donation to a charity of his choice.
The NCAA classified Ivisic as a sophomore with only three years of eligibility.
Fedor Žugić has played professionally in Europe since 2019 before committing to Creighton last season under Greg McDermott.
The NCAA initially ruled Žugić ineligible, though he won his appeal and was able to appear in 22 of 34 games for the Blue Jays.
Although Žugić is listed on Creighton’s roster for the upcoming season, he has eligibility concerns for 2025-26 and it is unclear whether he will play.
According to EuroBasket.com, Buljan played professional basketball for clubs in Spain, Croatia, and Germany since 2018 and 2019.
UNM Athletics’ NCAA compliance staff will likely have to negotiate his remaining eligibility with the NCAA.
Buljan is the 13th commit for UNM men’s basketball and Olen.
College basketball fans await the House Settlement to be approved, which would increase the scholarship limit to fifteen.
