NCAA grants Matej Bosnjak eligibility to play this Wichita State basketball season

For the first time in a long time, the Wichita State men’s basketball team received good news from Indianapolis.

Following a lengthy review process, the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee officially cleared Croatian center Matej Bosnjak on Friday with full eligibility to play for Wichita State in the 2024-25 season. The NCAA Eligibility Center has classified Bosnjak a senior, although sources told The Eagle that another waiver will be filed later to appeal for a second season.

It was a welcome change for WSU fans to see a player be cleared by the NCAA after high-profile transfers Teddy Allen and Colby Rogers had their waivers denied by the NCAA in recent seasons.

The timing was also crucial to a WSU team short on frontcourt depth with a preseason injury to reserve center Zane Meeks and the first game of the season just three days away at Western Kentucky.

WSU coach Paul Mills has raved about the 6-foot-9, 240-pound center’s ability to potentially be a difference-maker for the Shockers since arriving in Wichita in August.

“He’s just a phenomenal young man who works his rear-end off,” Mills said. “Any time you have a kid with character and work ethic, you know you’re dealing with the right kid. To be honest with you, he’s better than what I thought. He’s a good player. Extremely skilled. He’s really going to help us. You can tell, he’s a kid who wants to add value to a team and he is about the right things.”

While Bosnjak’s grades were in order when he came to the United States, the NCAA Eligibility Center did not certify him for initial eligibility in August due to the amateur component. Because he had received money while playing in the Adriatic Basketball League, he did not meet the rigid requirement for initial eligibility.

That’s when Bosnjak’s case went to the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee and when Korey Torgerson, WSU’s head of compliance, went into action.

In order to prove Bosnjak’s case, Torgerson needed to show that Bosnjak’s expenses had actually been higher than his income during the three-year period when he played basketball for a professional organization in his home country.

With the help of Ognjen Stranjina, Mills’ director of recruiting and a Serbian native who spearheaded bringing Bosnjak over, Torgerson compiled expense receipts for things like food, transportation and utilities to submit for review.

Similar eligibility cases have been resolved this week, as Illinois announced Thursday that the NCAA had cleared Croatian center Tomislav Ivisic, although he was required to make a financial repayment by donating to a charity of his choice as part of his reinstatement process.

Because of the diligent work of Torgerson and Stranjina, Bosnjak is not required to make any kind of financial repayment as part of his reinstatement process.

Bosnjak recently told The Eagle that the presence of Stranjina played a major role in why he picked the Shockers.

“Without him, I don’t want to say I would be lost, but it would definitely be a lot tougher without him,” Bosnjak said. “He’s been a great help so far and he’s kind of been my connection to back home. It’s been a lot easier here with him, having someone I can talk to in my language.”

After averaging 7.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists and starting as a 21-year-old against much older competition last season, Bosnjak is expected to help WSU immediately.

It also gives Mills two distinct offensive styles at the center position, as starter Quincy Ballard is a dynamic athlete and vertical threat and Bosnjak is a threat to shoot or pass with the physicality to post up inside. There’s also a chance the two could share the floor together if WSU needs more size.

According to sources, Bosnjak had practices where he was the best player on the floor for WSU. While he struggled with the choppy pace of the exhibition game against Emporia State, he excelled against Oklahoma State in a closed scrimmage.

“You can just tell that (Bosnjak) is a lot more mature and has been playing professionally,” WSU senior guard Xavier Bell said. “He knows where to be on defense and he knows how to play the game. So to see that level of experience from a guy who just got here, it’s amazing for us.”