Courtesy: USC Athletics
The USC men’s water polo program has secured four standout signees for 2025 in the addition of transfer Mihailo Vukazic along with incoming freshmen Gavin Conant, Strahinja Krstic and Efe Naipoglu, USC head coach Marko Pintaric announced today.
Vukazic comes to USC after three seasons played at Pacific, where he was a First Team All-American as well as a Cutino Award finalist in 2024. A native of Belgrade, Serbia, he was named to the Golden Coast Conference All-Freshman Team in his first season with the Tigers. As a sophomore, he was named to the 2022 NCAA All-Tournament First Team in helping Pacific reach the semifinals. He sat out the 2023 season before going even bigger in 2024, scoring 63 goals and being named the West Coast Conference Player of the Year in addition to his All-America status.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Mihajlo as the newest member of our 2025 squad,” Pintaric said of Vukazic. “His versatility and wealth of experience make him an immediate asset to our already talented roster. As a seasoned center defender, Mihajlo brings a commanding presence and a high-level skill set that will be instrumental in anchoring our defense. In addition, his elite scoring ability will play a key role in driving our offensive efforts. We can’t wait to see the impact he’ll make this upcoming season!”
A San Juan Capistrano product out of JSerra High School, Gavin Conant is a top recruit in this year’s class, combining national team experience with high school leadership. Conant helped lead JSerra to two CIF championships, one of those victories coming off a 30-0 undefeated season for the Lions. Also a member of the U.S. Youth National Team since 2022, Conant has earned MVP honors as part of the Futures League and won gold at the 18U Pan-American Games in 2023 and 2024.
“Gavin is an incredible water polo player and human being,” Pintaric said of Conant. “His speed, top-tier defense, and scoring ability make him a big threat in the pool. He is heavily relied on by his teams to be the playmaker, scorer, and lockdown defensive player. He will be a big factor for us in the coming future at USC.”
Strahinja Krstic is an elite player out of Serbia who has already represented his country on the international stage. This past summer, Krstic was named MVP of the 19U Junior Worlds tournament in Buenos Aires, helping Serbia claim silver in the event. He currently trains with club Novi Beograd, the defending champion of the Serbian water polo league, after a successful stint on VK Partizan.
“Strahinja is considered the best 2-meter player in the world for his age group, and is also the second-best center on the Serbian senior national team,” Pintaric said of Krstic. “His talent is rare and one of a kind. He dominates the pool not only with his scoring ability, but also with his elite speed and defense, which is rare for players in his position. It is another rarity to have a player in his position to encompass all those traits.”
Rounding out the group is Efe Naipoglu, a signee out of Turkey who poses an all-around athletic threat. Part of the Turkish national team pipeline since joining the U15 age group, Naipoglu currently plays double-duty for his home club Galatasaray: He’s the youngest player on the senior team and a key contributor on the U19 squad, and helped lead both teams to a championship in the Turkish League for the 2023-24 season. Naipoglu was also most recently named the top scorer at the 2024 World Aquatics Men’s U18 Water Polo Championships with 27 goals.
“Efe has what it takes to be a Trojan and will make us successful with his play,” Pintaric said of Naipoglu. “He will immediately be impactful to our program and mission to win a NCAA championship. He will be able to contribute to all aspects of our team leadership, competition, academics and success.”
