'Grateful for the opportunity.' Xavier freshman Lazar Djokovic enters transfer portal
There are now seven scholarship players from Xavier's roster looking for a new home.
Freshman forward Lazar Djokovic announced on X Thursday morning that he has entered the NCAA's transfer portal.
Greatful for the opportunity, thank you Xavier. Amazing fan base⚔️
— Lazar (@lazardjokovic17) March 28, 2024
Xavier's freshmen class from last season has only forward Dailyn Swain and guard Trey Green left on the roster after Thursday's announcement.
Last summer, Xavier added three international players to build depth in the frontcourt after season-ending injuries to Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter in Djokovic, Gytis Nemeiksa and Sasa Ciani. Each of those three players struggled to produce on a consistent basis for Xavier and the trio is now all in the NCAA's transfer portal.
With great size (6-foot-10) and athleticism, Djokovic had high expectations entering Xavier. Those were hampered quickly as Djokovic suffered a hand injury that made him miss the first three games of the season and struggled to stay on the court once he finally made his debut. Djokovic combined for just 10 points on 3-of-15 shooting in four starts during the regular season.
More: NCAA transfer portal: Here's where Xavier Musketeers' roster stands
In 27 games, Djokovic averaged 2.6 points and 2.7 rebounds. He was one of the bright spots late in the season with an increase in playing time after Swain went down for the year. In the final four games of the year, Djokovic made two starts and combined for 24 points and 19 rebounds.
"To be honest, I wasn't great at the beginning of the season. My expectations were high. I lowered my expectations, worked hard in practice and just played my role," Djokovic told The Enquirer following Xavier's first-round Big East Tournament win over Butler.
That better play down the stretch was not enough to keep Djokovic at Cintas Center. He'll look for a new opportunity at a different program next year while Xavier continues to build its 2024-25 roster through the transfer portal.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xavier freshman forward Lazar Djokovic enters NCAA's transfer portal
