California men’s basketball head coach Mark Madsen announced on May 1 that freshman post player Nicolas Mitrovic has signed to join the Golden Bears for the upcoming 2026-27 season. Mitrovic, who played at Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science in Massachusetts, was ranked as a top-50 prospect by Rivals. He averaged 5.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last season and also competed with Expressions EYBL.
Madsen said that Mitrovic brings significant skill to the team due to his size and length. “Nicolas is one of the most exciting young big men in the country,” Madsen said of Mitrovic. “He has tremendous skill for his size and length. This makes him a true threat inside and out on both ends of the floor. We are ecstatic to add Nicolas to the Cal family!”
Mitrovic joins a program that made notable progress during the previous season by achieving its highest win total since 2016 with 22 victories and earning its first postseason win since 2014. The team also had eight games scoring over ninety points and five players ranked among top-100 national statistical categories.
Currently, six newcomers are officially signed for California’s roster in the upcoming season: incoming freshman Dionycius Bakare along with transfers Michael Cooper, Nojus Indrusaitis, Jordan Ross, Jake Wilkins, in addition to Mitrovic.
The addition of new talent reflects California’s efforts to build on recent successes as they prepare for next year’s competition.
