Bruce Pearl drops 1-word reaction after Auburn lands commitment from Serbian big man Filip Jovic

Auburn men's basketball and coach Bruce Pearl have been busy this offseason and have been rewarded with the commitment of Serbian big man Filip Jovic. The Tigers are coming off a successful 2024-25 season, where they won the SEC regular season and reached the Final Four of the 2025 men's NCAA Tournament.

On Wednesday, Bruce shared his excitement at the news that Jovic will join the team next season on X, tweeting:

"Boom" with a fire emoji

Jovic, a 6-foot-9 forward, spent the last two seasons as a professional player in the FIBA European League for the Belgrade-based team, KK MegaBasket. He averaged 12.2 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 22.2 minutes per game last season.

Jovic also represented Serbia at the FIBA U17 World Championship in 2022, averaging 12.0 points and 4.2 rebounds. Followed by a standout performance at the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2024, recording 14.8 points per game.

He is regarded as a great addition to the Auburn team, who has lost Johni Broome, Chad Baker-Mazara, Dylan Cardwell, Miles Kelly and Denver Jones to the 2025 NBA draft.

Bruce Pearl finds more "impact" player in Filip Jovic

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn men's basketball coaching staff came off a successful 2024-25 season, but the Tigers have been looking for more impactful players ahead of next season.

In April, coach Pearl revealed he needed one more "impact" player to make his roster complete, saying:

"I think somebody else on the inside. KeShawn Murphy can play 4 or 5. Emeka (Opurum) is going to be really good, but I don't know how early in his career he's going to be there. We probably need another center. And then we'll pretty much be done."

Auburn found an answer in 20-year-old Serbian big man Filip Jovic, who announced his commitment to the Tigers on Wednesday. He will join other transfers, including D2 star Elyjah Freeman, Texas Tech transfers Kevin Overton, Mississippi State transfer KeShawn Murphy and UCF transfer Keyshawn Hall.

Coach Bruce Pearl will likely welcome Tahaad Pettiford back to the team if the freshman guard does not make it in the NBA draft. Pettiford averaged 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per game last season. Should he return to the Tigers, he is expected to make Pearl's starting lineup as an anchor while Jovic controls the frontcourt.