European Trio Brings Experience to Men’s Basketball Roster
By Carter Schum | September 21, 2026
The landscape of college basketball has changed drastically in just the past few years with an influx in international recruiting. Now, more than ever, European players are coming over to the Division 1 ranks to play against elite talent, and this year's University at Albany men's basketball squad is no different.
Three different new players for the 2026-27 season have spent time playing in some of the most competitive leagues across Europe, and will contribute to the international diversity featured on this year's roster.
Pedro Santos, hailing from Porto, Portugal, is perhaps the most experienced of the international trio. In his native country, he was a member of two different youth teams, and eventually earned a promotion to the top league in Portugal where he competed against veterans of Europe and former North American professionals.
This experience against men several years his senior afforded him valuable skills and knowledge to be able to jump to Division 1, prepared to make an impact. He moved to the United States in 2024 with the University of Tennessee Martin Skyhawks, and after redshirting his first year, enjoyed a breakout campaign last season.
He averaged nearly seven points and over four rebounds a game while turning into an elite defender, averaging more than 1.5 steals per game. This diverse skill set that was nourished in Europe can be expected as a big part of UAlbany’s plans for the 2026-27 season. Portugal has become a solid producer of basketball talent in the last few years, and Santos has a chance to be the next in line.
The next European prospect looking to make an impact this year is Erwan Bussing. Coming to the Capital Region via France, his story is similar to that of Santos in many ways. He dominated the youth levels of his club team before earning a “call up” to play in France's top league, the same league Victor Wembenyama played in before going on to star in the NBA.
In playing in France's top flight, Bussing played with and against elite talent including players who played in the NBA and Euro league. This experience, similar to Santos, allowed him to grow as a player and person to contribute right away in the frontcourt for the Great Danes.
The final young prospect coming to UAlbany via Europe, is Petar Miovic from Croatia. Miovic stands at 6’8, and is a true product of his environment. Croatia has been a hotbed for basketball for deacdes, and Miovic has already walked some of the same steps as many of the top players in Croatia.
He represented Croatia internationally at youth level, and made a breakthrough at his hometown club KK Dubrovnik, where he also competed against former NBA players. Despite his club and international achievements, Miovic chose to take his talents to the United States last season, where he joined the Academy of Central Florida. While in Florida, he would use the experience to get adjusted to the different style of play in the United States and developed his game into becoming a capable shooter. Coming from such a basketball rich country, Miovic will have high expectations attached to him for the future.
This UAlbany squad for the 2026-27 season will feature talent from all across the world, unlike any Great Dane team before, and there is reason to suspect these three will all play big roles in this year's team success. As more European players begin to come the United States, bringing this level of experience against high-caliber talent is something very few teams can say they have, and these players will each bring their own skills and culture from their part of the world to contribute to the overall success of the group this season.
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