First-year head coach Ed Schilling bringing in a host of players for the 2024-25 season
The Pepperdine Waves men’s basketball team added two talented freshmen to their roster for the upcoming season earlier this month.
New Waves head coach Ed Schilling announced that Dailo Dozic, a 6-foot-10 power forward, and 6-foot-5 guard Jaxon Olvera both signed on to lace up their sneakers for Pepperdine.
Dozic, from Belgrade, Serbia, said Pepperdine’s academic and athletic programs are the reasons he choose to attend college in Malibu.
Pepperdine competes in NCAA Division I’s West Coast Conference. Dozic also noted that playing against high-level opponents appealed to him.
“Alongside the experienced and dedicated coaching staff, great facility, and one-of-a-kind campus, I am also looking forward to playing against Division I competition, besides contributing to the team on court,” he said.
Olvera, from Houston, choose Pepperdine because the university felt like home and noted the competition also.
“I’m so excited to play in a good conference and really show my talent on the stage,” he said.
Dozic played for 2024 EuroCup runners-up JL Bourg’s U21 team. He tallied 11.9 points and 4.1 rebounds for the squad and helped them win an LNB’s Betclic Elite U21 – Trophee du Futur U21 league championship. Dozic had a 28-point performance this season and a contest in which he snagged 10 rebounds.
Dozic helped U18 Mega MIL Melgrade win the 2023 Adidas Next Generation EuroLeague Tournament. He also won national championships with the Serbia national teams’ under 15-19 rosters.
Schilling said Dozic was one of the top European prospects last season.
“Danilo’s international experience gained while playing on the Serbian National Team over the years will serve him very well as he transitions into the WCC,” he said. “We are thrilled to have Danilo at Pepperdine.”
Olvera played at Golden State Prep in Northern California and held his own against some of the top recruits in tournaments such as the Shot National Tournament, Hoop Hall Prep Showcase, and The Golden State Classic. The season before, the guard averaged 10.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists his senior year of high school at Dynamic Prep in Irving, Texas.
Schilling said Olvera is great addition to the Waves and was one of the top guards in prep school last season.
“His versatility was seen in his season averages of 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals per game,” the coach said. “We are excited to see how he fits in and contributes to the Pepperdine basketball program.”
The two players are among a host of new players that have signed with Pepperdine since Schilling was hired in April to replace Lorenzo Romar, who coached Pepperdine for six seasons.
Other new additions include graduate transfers Alonso Faure from Loyola Maryland and Javon Cooley from Marist College, and transfers Aaron Clark from Wake Forest, Moe Odum from Pacific, Stefan Todorivc from San Francisco, and Zion Bethea from Delaware.
Lithuanian Dovydas Butka also joined Pepperdine’s roster after playing four seasons in basketball leagues in his country. One of Canada’s top prep prospects, Taj Au-Duke, will also suit up for the Waves.