NC State Roster Breakdown After Robert Jurkovic Commitment

NC State landed an international commitment to their 2026 men’s basketball recruiting class on Monday, adding a much needed addition to their frontcourt.

With Jurkovic officially in the fold, NC State now sits at:

12 players on the roster
3 open spots remaining

Why Jurkovic Matters

NC State’s greatest need before the commitment of Jurkovic was to add depth to their frontcourt. The Wolfpack needed to find a center to backup UC Irvine transfer Kyle Evans, and needed to find a more experienced power forward to compliment Washington State transfer Eemeli Yalaho, besides Redshirt Freshman Zymicah Wilkins. Jurkovic is an answer to the latter, but at his height, could spell Evans at the 5.

Jurkovic stands 6’9″, which makes him the perfect height for the 4 position (1 inch taller than Yalaho). If you look over at basketball-reference.com, Jurkovic is listed as 6’10”, which is the same height as Kyle Evans. Jurkovic, though close to the same height, is a different kind of player than Evans, possessing perimeter shooting ability. In 59 games with Ilirija (professional team in Slovenia), he shot 55.6% from the field, and 36.9% from beyond the arc. In the 16 games he played with Ilirija in the ABA, he was even more impressive, shooting 59.3% from the field, and 41.9% from deep, which was the best three-point percentage on the squad.

Currently 23 years old, Jurkovic will turn 24 before the start of the 2026-27 season. He brings age and 3 years of professional experience overseas. In my previous reports, I emphasized the fact NC State needed to find a backup for Yalaho. In Jurkovic, did Justin Gainey in fact find a power forward to start over Yalaho, or at least compete for the starting job?

I think that is very likely.

Now, comparing the experience of Jurkovic and Yalaho matters. Context matters.

Jurkovic (ABA) vs. Yalaho’s 1st 2 seasons at Texas Tech: Jurkovic’s ABA experience was clearly higher competition. Even on a weaker Ilirija team, he was playing against paid professionals in a league with ex-EuroLeague vets, strong imports, and high physicality. Yalaho’s early Big 12 minutes were against elite college athletes but in very limited roles. The jump from bench to starter is huge, but the baseline competition was still elite college-level in the Big 12.

Jurkovic (ABA) vs. Yalaho’s last season at Washington State: Much closer. Yalaho had a bigger role (more minutes, more production) in a decent conference (WCC). Jurkovic’s pro experience adds maturity and physicality that college ball often lacks. ABA bottom teams are roughly in the range of good high-major/low Power conference college teams, while top ABA clubs exceed most NCAA teams. Ilirija being weaker pulls it down a bit.

Bottom line: Jurkovic’s 3 seasons with Ilirija in the ABA were legitimate professional ball against grown men, stronger than Yalaho’s developmental Big 12 years and comparable (maybe a notch below) to Yalaho’s productive WCC year in terms of day-to-day competitiveness.

In Summary

Jurkovic was a huge pickup by Gainey. Late in the roster building process, he might have landed a starting power forward, or at least one that will push Yalaho and play significant minutes. Between Yalaho and Jurkovic, NC State now has two players at the 4 who shot 40% from three last season.

What else is needed?

NC State still needs to find Kyle Evans a backup at the 5. The Wolfpack is still actively trying to reel in Auburn transfer 7’0″ center Emeka Opurum, who is an elite rim protector. NC State had him on campus last week, and if they can get the job done there, they will have solid depth in the frontcourt heading into the season.

If that were to happen, the Wolfpack would have two spots left on the roster, and while I could be wrong, I expect those additions to be developmental depth pieces. I’d love to be wrong, and news break that Gainey surprised the world and snatched a big fish out of nowhere.

NC State’s Current 2026-27 Men’s Basketball Roster