Elizabethtown College recently received word that a superstar foreign exchange student will be joining the men’s basketball team for the next four years. Hailing from the small rural town of Barajevo, Serbia, 17-year-old Dragan Lulić has declared to join the Blue Jays for the next four seasons, hoping to provide multiple NCAA tournament appearances and bring Etown back to the top.
Lulić is a 6-foot-11-inch forward who currently plays for KK Crvena Zvezda, a team in the Serbian League and EuroLeague. He was a key piece in their championship last season. Born as the youngest of 10 kids, Lulić and his family grew up around basketball, often playing full basketball games with his family at the court that his father built outside his home. In his last season for The Red-Whites, Lulić contributed nine points, five assists, and eight rebounds as a 17-year-old, sparking interest from top colleges in the United States and other leagues around the world. Lulić was also offered to play for the U-20 Serbian national team, however, he did not make an appearance for the team after sitting out with a thumb injury. Working with three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, Lulić has learned from the best and has shown his skills with his versatility in Europe. With offers from Duke University and Kansas University, along with chances to play at Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, Lulić wanted to find a place that reminded him of home, and Lancaster County was perfect for him.
As a player, Lulić is a tenacious forward with ball-handling skills like some of the best guards in the NCAA. With his size normally placing him in a position at power forward and center, Lulić prefers the term ‘point forward’ to describe his game, often taking the ball up the court and destroying defenses with his scoring inside the paint. With comparisons to Ben Simmons and Luka Dončić, Lulić hopes to reach that goal with a hot start as a part of the 2025 recruiting class for the Blue Jays. After playing through the high levels of the EuroLeague, Lulić seems to be a plug-and-play player for Etown next year, being able to instantly contribute to a team that finished just outside the bubble for the Landmark playoffs with a record of 10-15. For a player of his size to come into the program can turn losses into wins and easily give Etown a chance at their first Division III National Championship appearance since the 2001-2002 season and give them their first championship in the program’s history. With the looming threat of the transfer portal, Lulić promises to stay a Blue Jay for as long as possible, giving fans a sigh of relief. With the potential that Lulić has, Etown might have the possibility for the first player drafted from their program and potentially boost the Blue Jays into Division I play for the upcoming seasons.
Landmark teams should be worried as this news could give Etown the reigns over the conference for the next four years, however, they won’t be the first to be fooled by the Serbian this April as he will finish the season for The Red-Whites before his move to the United States to join the Blue Jays.
