EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Always an attractive program for foreign student-athletes, the University of Evansville men's basketball team has announced that Mislav Brzoja, a native of Zagreb, Croatia, has transferred to the school and will be eligible to play for the Purple Aces beginning in 2014.
 
"Mislav is an outstanding perimeter player who brings great size and skill level to our program," Evansville head coach Marty Simmons said.  "His international play as well as the experience of playing in the Big East is something that we are excited about.  Most importantly, he is a better person than a basketball player."
 
Brzoja comes to Evansville after playing for Villanova last season where he saw action in 17 games as a guard for the Wildcats.  He played an average of 2.4 minutes per game while recording six rebounds.  Standing at 6-4, Brzoja has the ability to play at either the one, two or three position on the floor and can be utilized in several different ways. 
 
He brings experience in the state of Indiana was he played at Traders Point Christian Academy prior to his year at Villanova.  The academy is located in Whitestown, Ind., which is a suburb on the northwest side of Indianapolis.  Brzoja played a pivotal role in leading the academy to a 24-3 record and the Indiana Christian Title in 2012.
 
Over the past two summers, Brzoja has returned home to play for his native Croatia.  This summer, he played for the FIBA U19 team where he averaged 12.7 points per game over the course of nine outings.  That tournament is the most prestigious He registered double figures in six of those efforts, including 22 points versus Spain and 21 against Korea.  In the summer of 2012, he represented his country in the U18 European Championship.  Over the course of eight games, he averaged 15.0 points and 2.9 rebounds to lead Croatia to the gold medal. 
 
Already enrolled in classes at UE, Brzoja will be able to practice with the team this season before being eligible for game action in 2014.  In his recruitment out of Traders Point in 2012, Brzoja had interest from several institutions including: Northwestern, Vanderbilt, LSU and Marquette.