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CORVALLIS – The Oregon State men’s basketball team has added guard Matija Samar to its roster for the 2025-26 season, head coach Wayne Tinkle announced Thursday.
Samar is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Slovenia.
Samar has seen extensive action in the Slovenia national team system, most recently competing at the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket. The guard averaged 9.7 points and 3.9 rebounds at the event, as the team made a run to the championship game. Samar scored in double-figures four times, including the final three rounds, with a 19-point showing against Belarus in the semi-final. In 2023 he averaged 9.1 points per contest at the FIBA U20 European Championship.
“We are really excited to add Matija to our program,” Tinkle said. “We’ve been working with him for a while and jumping through all of the hoops necessary for an international player. He’s a big guard that can play both of our wing positions. Matija brings a combination of maturity, toughness and skill, and his ability to handle the ball and score inside and out will help us replace some of what we lost from last season. We are thrilled to be adding him to the Oregon State family.”
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Samar has spent the last three seasons playing in Spain, seeing action in 2024-25 with CB Ciudad de Ponferrada in the Spanish Segunda FEB. He led the league in scoring last season with 19.8 points per game, while also adding 4.0 rebounds per contest. Samar shot 35.5 percent from 3-point range on the season.
“I’m truly happy and grateful to be part of the Oregon State program,” Samar said. “I believe I’ve made the right decision, and I’m confident that together with the coaching staff we’ll take some great steps forward. It’s a real honor for me to wear the same jersey as our family friend and basketball legend, Teoman Alibegović — that truly means a lot to me. I’m really looking forward to the start of the season, meeting the team, the organization, and of course, the fans. Thank you to everyone who believes in me and has supported me on the way to this opportunity.”
Samar will be joined next season by fellow newcomers Yaak Yaak, Dez White, Malcolm Christie, Noah Amenhauser, Stephen Olowoniyi, Jorge Diaz Graham, Keziah Ekissi, and Olavi Suutela.
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