1 / 2

Utah Valley men's basketball has signed Croatian power forward Jovan Nekic for the 2026-27 season.

Courtesy UVU Athletics

2 / 2

Utah Valley men's basketball has signed Lithuanian guard Modestas Babraitis to the 2026-27 roster.

Courtesy UVU Athletics

❮ ❯

Utah Valley University men’s basketball head coach Todd Phillips has announced the signing of Jovan Nekić and Modestas Babraitis to the Wolverines’ 2026-27 roster.

Nekić, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound power forward, comes to Utah Valley after competing professionally in Serbia.

“Jovan gives us size and physicality in the frontcourt,” Phillips said. “What jumps out on film is how well he moves for a player his size. We’re excited to add Jovan to the program.”

A native of Belgrade, Serbia, Nekić developed through two of the country’s top basketball programs, KK Partizan and KK Dynamic, before gaining senior-level professional experience in one of Europe’s premier basketball development environments.

Most recently, Nekić competed in Serbia’s Basketball League of Serbia (KLS), the nation’s top professional league, while also playing in the Serbian Second Senior League. During the 2025-26 season, he averaged 7.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field.The 6-foot-10 forward showcased his potential with several strong performances, including a 20-point, 11-rebound outing.

Prior to his professional career, Nekić competed in the prestigious Adidas Next Generation Tournament, one of Europe’s top showcases for elite young basketball talent. His experience against high-level international competition helped prepare him for the next step in his basketball journey.Basketball runs in the Nekić family. His older brother, Lazar Nekić, played Division I basketball at Loyola Marymount after beginning his career in Serbia.He joins a Utah Valley program preparing for its inaugural season in The Big West Conference and adds another international piece to a Wolverine roster that continues to attract talent from around the globe under Phillips.

Babraitis, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard from Fort Myers, Florida, comes to Utah Valley after competing professionally in Lithuania, most recently with Jonavos CBet in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL). The 6-foot-4 guard brings versatility, toughness, and international experience to a Wolverine program preparing for its first season in The Big West Conference.

“Modestas gives us great size in the backcourt,” Phillips said. “He’s a skilled guard who can make plays from multiple positions and is a tough defender who has competed at a high level overseas. We believe his experience and maturity will have an immediate impact on winning for our team.”

Babraitis developed hi game through the Rytas Vilnius system and represented Lithuania in international competition. He appeared in 11 games during the 2025-26 LKL season with Jonavos CBet. Prior to that, he spent multiple seasons competing within one of Lithuania’s premier basketball organizations, playing for both Rytas Vilnius and Vilniaus Perlas Energija. During the 2023-24 season, he averaged 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while helping Rytas Vilnius II compete in Lithuania’s second division. Over parts of four seasons in Lithuania’s National Basketball League (NKL), Babraitis totaled 746 points, 435 rebounds, and 195 assists in 85 career games. He also gained experience in Lithuania’s top professional league, appearing in 49 career LKL contests.

Babraitis has represented Lithuania on the international stage as a member of both the Lithuanian U18 and U20 National Teams.

Nielson adds to women’s basketball staff

Utah Valley women’s basketball head coach Dan Nielson has announced the additions of Kylee Mabry and Keith Lai to the 2026-27 coaching staff.

Mabry had a standout four-year career for the Wolverines and finished second all-time in steals. Along with her assistant coach duties, Mabry will also serve as the director of basketball operations.

“I am ecstatic that we are going to be able to keep Kylee in our UVU family,” Nielson said. “I love that we are able to help our alumni get into coaching and continue to build the program. Kylee is one of the best defensive players in our program’s history, and the understanding of rotations and responsibilities will be a huge help to all our new players. Enthusiasm for UVU and belief in what we are building will really resonate in recruiting. I can’t wait to get started.”

Mabry finished tied for ninth all-time with 112 career games played and was a constant defensive presence for the Wolverines. Mabry recorded 59 steals during the 2024-25 season and averaged more than 2.0 steals per game for two consecutive seasons.

During a UVU career, Mabry tallied 216 steals, ranking second in program history behind Asumi Nakayama (221).

“Spending my whole collegiate career at UVU was so special,” Mabry said. “There is no other place I could imagine starting a coaching career. Going from a player to joining the coaching staff means so much. I love this program, and I am incredibly grateful to  Dan Nielson  for believing in me as a player and now as a coach. I am thrilled to give back to the team and program that gave me so much.”

Lai is an experienced coach with a background in player development.

“I’m thrilled to add Keith to our program,” Nielson said. “He is an elite skill development coach who has won at every level he has coached. His energy and passion will make an immediate impact on the floor with his scouting ability and off the floor in recruiting. We can’t wait to get him started with this group.”

Most recently, Lai helped lead Pleasant Grove High School to the UHSAA Class 5A State Championship and a perfect 26-0 record, and the team included incoming UVU freshman Tabi Clark, who earned First Team All-State honors.  He has worked with some of the top prep players in Utah, including two-time Utah Gatorade Player of the Year and multiple All-American Emilee Skinner, who was named the No. 4 college prospect in the country and now plays college basketball at Duke University.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to join the Utah Valley University women’s basketball program as an assistant coach and contribute to the program’s success under Coach Nielson’s leadership,” Lai said. “The culture he has built around player development, competitiveness, accountability, and academic success is something I would be proud to be a part of. I’m eager to bring energy, a strong work ethic, and a team-first approach while helping the program continue to compete for conference championships and postseason opportunities.”

His extensive coaching background includes head coaching at Valley Christian High School (2012-2015). During his time as head coach at Bentley Upper School, he led the team to an NCS D5 Runner-up finish and was a Northern California regional semifinalist in 2017. During his successful stint, he sent players to destinations such as UC Santa Barbara, Houston, and Prairie View A&M. Lai has been successful at multiple levels, including the club circuit, helping Prolific Prep of Napa, Calif., to the No. 7 seed at the Geico National Championship. The team was ranked as high as 10 and developed several notable players, including a pair of NBA draft picks.