Washington’s roster overhaul makes it easy to look first at the newcomers. Nikola Dzepina offers a different reason to pay attention: the Huskies have a returning forward whose international résumé is already more substantial than his college playing sample.

According to his Washington player biography, Dzepina joined the team in December and appeared in 14 games as a freshman. He began his second season with something those brief appearances could not show on their own: a summer as a leading contributor to a medal-winning national team.

Serbia gave him a larger assignment

Serbia finished second at the 2026 FIBA U20 EuroBasket with a 6–1 record, its only loss coming in the final against host Slovenia. Dzepina was named to the tournament’s All-Star Five.

His official FIBA statistical record shows averages of 13.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists over seven games. He also averaged 1.9 blocks, the highest figure on the tournament’s leaderboard.

The individual games show a range of contributions. He opened with 21 points and 13 rebounds against Poland, then finished with five blocks in the semifinal against Spain. In the final, he had 10 points and nine rebounds despite shooting 3-for-11.

That last line is worth retaining. A useful player evaluation should leave room for a difficult shooting game, especially when the same game includes work on the glass. Choosing only the best scoring performance would produce a less helpful picture of the player Washington has back.

The jumper is part of the question

Dzepina made eight of 25 three-point attempts in the tournament, or 32 percent. That establishes that the shot was part of his offensive work. It remains a small sample for deciding how reliably opponents must defend him outside.

For Washington, the interesting possibilities involve how those skills fit together. A forward who can finish near the basket, rebound and become a credible perimeter option gives a lineup several ways to use him. The season will show which of those responsibilities Dzepina can handle consistently against college opponents.

There is no need to turn that summer into a fixed position or a rotation promise. The summer gives fans specific things to watch rather than an automatic starting job: the quality of his catches, his decisions when a shot is not available and whether he finishes defensive possessions with rebounds.

October supplied a local reference point

Dzepina produced 16 points and 12 rebounds in Washington’s exhibition against Washington State. The Huskies’ November 1 opening-week notes highlighted that double-double ahead of the November 2 regular-season opener.

That performance connects the summer to something Washington fans could see in a Husky uniform. It is also separate from his official regular-season totals. Seattle Hoops Insider’s WSU exhibition review covers the broader game; Dzepina’s individual development deserves a longer view than one October result.

His first-year biography provides a few earlier markers: seven points and eight rebounds against San Diego, and three blocked shots against Wisconsin. Those appearances were scattered within a short introductory season. Serbia’s summer schedule gave him a more sustained run of responsibility.

Watch what survives an ordinary night

The most revealing games may be the ones in which Dzepina does not score much. Can he still help Washington rebound? Does he keep the ball moving? Can he protect the basket without leaving teammates to repair unnecessary gambles?

Those are scouting questions, not conclusions from a box score. They offer a practical way to follow a second-year player who is still building his college record.

Washington has plenty of new names to learn. Dzepina is a reminder that improvement can also come from a player already on the roster, provided the broader set of skills he showed with Serbia translates into dependable work in Seattle.

Cover image is illustrative basketball photography, not documentation of the players, venue or event discussed.