Arizona transfer Filip Borovicanin commits to New Mexico ahead of 2024-25 season: Report 

After two seasons with the Wildcats, former Arizona forward, Filip Borovicanin entered the transfer portal on April 1. On Sunday, it was announced that the Serbian had signed with the New Mexico Lobos.

The news was first reported by ESPN's Jeff Borzello, who received confirmation from Borovicanin's agent, Daniel Poneman. The forward also received offers from San Francisco, Kansas State and Boise State, before he settled with the Lobos.

In his two seasons at Arizona, Filip Borovicanin played 34 games, 20 this year and 14 in the 2022-23 season. This year, he averaged 5.6 minutes and scored 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.

Despite his restricted role at Arizona, Borovicanin is a great scorer on the international stage. He averaged 14.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in seven games when he played for Serbia at the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup. He recorded three double-doubles and his best night was against Korea when he scored 25 points and 11 rebounds.

Borovicanin is not the only international player to go portaging, as Lithuanian freshman forward Paulius Murauskas also chose to transfer due to restricted minutes. He averaged 2.7 points and 1.2 rebounds per game and will transfer to Saint Mary's for his sophomore season.

Why did Filip Borovicanin choose to transfer?

The biggest reason is Borovicanin's restricted role in Arizona despite exhibiting immense potential. Coach Tommy Lloyd stuck to an eight-man rotation that saw both international players receive low playtime.

In his announcement on Instagram, Filip Borovicanin said:

"Nothing in life is easy, neither is my basketball journey. When I came to Arizona, I thought it was a stepping stone to some of my biggiest dreams, but not everything is always as you imagine.

I am grateful for this experience and the wonderful two years in Arizona where I made many friends and came out stronger from it all. I open the transfer portal and promise that one day I will get what I came to America for. Wildcat for life GO CATS!"

After his transfer to New Mexico, Filip Borovicanin posted a picture of himself in the Lobos threads and captioned it:

"Grateful for my time at Arizona, now onto the next chapter! Excited to join Coach Pitino and the Lobos family at New Mexico."

While Borovicanin could have found an extended role at Arizona next season with the exit of Keshad Johnson and Pelle Larsson, the addition of McDonald’s All-American forward Carter Bryant and 2024 reclassified wing Joson Sanon to the team could affect his chances.

What do you think of Filip Borovicanin moving to New Mexico? Let us know in the comment section below.