5 days ago
UM men's basketball lands Slovakian forward and Texas point guard for 2025-26 season
University of Miami men's basketball head coach Jai Lucas added two more players to his 2025-26 roster, Slovakian forward Timotej Malovec and point guard John Laboy II, a Houston, Texas, native with whom Lucas has strong ties.
Malovec, who is 6-8, played for Mega Superbet in the ABA League First Division in Serbia.
'Timotej is an extremely versatile player who can not only attack the basket, but also be a threat from the perimeter,' Lucas said. 'His maturity and experience playing overseas make him a great fit for our program and we cannot wait for him to get to Miami.'
In 2024-25, Malovec averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range for Mega Superbet. He has represented Slovakia at the senior and junior national team levels.
At the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers, Malovec averaged 8.7 points, 6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in six games. In the 2022 FIBA U18 European Championship Division B, Malovec averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Laboy II, 6-2, is a three-star recruit per 247Sports and was named to the Houston Chronicle's All-TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Prochial Schools) Second Team as a senior.
'I have known John and his family a long time through our Houston roots and I am very excited to welcome him to the Miami family,' Lucas said. 'John has a high basketball IQ and is the ultimate teammate. He is someone I see growing with the program and I know that he will positively impact the culture we want to build at The U.'
He averaged 14.2 points, 4.0 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game while also shooting 45 percent from the field in 2024-25 and led St. Francis Episcopal to the TAPPS 4A State title.
