Florida has closed out their 2024-25 roster with a bang, landing Slovenian point guard Urban Klavzar who just finished out a season playing in Spain’s second division.
Klavzar was one of the hottest names in European basketball development when he was 14 years old, signing with powerhouse Real Madrid to develop in their program. Now, you might remember that Real Madrid has had success in the past with Slovenian players as Luka Doncic played for them before going to the NBA.
In 2021 as just a 17-year old, Klavzar had one of the biggest moments of his career. With COVID ravaging the elite Real Madrid roster they were forced to not only dress the teenager, but play him against one of the best teams in the world. This was a game against Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow in Euroleague competition–unquestionably the best competition outside the NBA in the world. Not only did Klavzar play, and have to play big minutes–he contributed. Playing with a skeleton crew roster he got his teammates organized, distributed the ball, and ended with 10 points and 1 assist against a team good enough to hold their own in the NBA.
Real Madrid is a team that is constantly competing for Liga ACB and Euroleague Championships and doesn’t always have minutes available for young players, so Klavzar chose to move to another top Spanish club–UCAM Murcia. From there he was assigned to the second division of Spain where he could play a big role, and last season he averaged 8.9 points and 1.5 assists playing against quality professional opponents.
A 6’1” point guard, Klavzar has excellent vision and ball handling, playing the game like a seasoned professional which–in many ways he is. Having been around professionals since he was 14 and stepping into his first professional game in 2021 he has a high level of experience for a player entering the college game and considering each game he plays in has been competitive it has been valuable experience. Klavzar has also been an excellent shooter hitting 43% of his threes last season, something that will instantly translate to the SEC. While Klavzar doesn’t have elite size at 6’1”, his frame has filled out and he is used to the extremely physical style of European basketball and playing against grown men.
Florida wanted someone who could handle the ball and play point guard minutes, and Klavzar is going to be able to do that. Klavzar is as experienced as it gets for a player entering college, to the point that a classification as a freshman almost seems comical. Expect Klavzar to play right away and provide high level reads and leadership.
With the addition of Klavzar, Florida’s 2024-25 roster is complete.