Feb 14, 2025; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Lazar Stefanovic (10) shoots the ball while Indiana Hoosiers forward Luke Goode (10) defends in the second half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Bruins Senior Spotlight: Lazar Stefanovic

Originally posted on UCLA Bruins on SI | By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Mar 6, 2025 10:06 AM ET

The UCLA Bruins (21-9, 12-7) prepare for their Saturday night rivalry matchup with the USC Trojans (14-15, 6-12) at Pauley Pavilion, which also stands as the Bruins' senior night as the final home game of the year. Senior guard Lazar Stefanovic will be honored for his success over the past two years.

Stefanovic spent his first two collegiate seasons with the Utah Utes before transferring to Westwood ahead of the 2023-'24 season. He decided to transfer within the Pac-12 conference at the time, joining a Bruins team that saw struggles in Stefanovic's first season with the team.

Last season, the Belgrade, Serbia native started all 33 games while averaging 11.5 points in just over 34 minutes per game for a team that finished 16-17 with a 10-10 conference record, ultimately missing the NCAA Tournament.

As the Bruins once did with Stefanovic, they boosted their roster this past offseason with a few new transfer players, such as junior forward Tyler Bilodeau, junior guard Skyy Clark, and senior guard Kobe Johnson. With those new additions, Stefanovic's role was minimized just a bit.

Despite being in a lesser role and coming off the bench for the first time in a Bruins uniform, Stefanovic has found more team success even though he may not be scoring at the same clip he once was for the program.

Stefanovic is averaging 4.9 points while being the team's top free-throw shooter at an amazing 95%. He has also provided a strong presence from the 3-point line, hitting at a 33.8% clip from beyond the arc with several key triples throughout this season.

Regardless of the minute he has received, Stefanovic has been an integral part of this team as a key role player coming off the bench while also providing strong veteran leadership. It may be just his second season with UCLA, but Stefanovic acts like a four-year veteran with this group.

Saturday night is an important night not only for the seniors, but for bragging rights in the crosstown rivalry. The Trojans will be hungry for revenge as UCLA beat them earlier this season. Stefanovic may have something up his sleeve from downtown, hitting a few key shots like he has all season.

This article first appeared on UCLA Bruins on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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