How Pitt recruit Amsal Delalic grew from his Bosnian basketball family to join the Panthers (2024)

May 20—Amsal Delalic, Pitt basketball's newest commit, brings another international player to the roster. Hailing from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the 20-year-old, 6-foot-7 wing brings a combination of sharpshooting skill and athleticism to Jeff Capel's roster.

But who is Amsal Delalic? How did Pitt find its newest international player, adding to Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham, who were recruited in Capel's 2022 class? Delalic caught up with the Post-Gazette in an exclusive interview Sunday and shared his story.

'It runs in the family'

Delalic grew up in Tuzla, one of the larger cities of Bosnia-Herzegovina. His parents, Amir and Sanela Delalic, raised him there while he also got to experience different parts of Europe through travel.

Some of that travel came from Amsal going to see his father, Amir, play professional basketball. Amir was a 6-foot-10 center who played in European leagues over the course of 20 years. Athleticism ran in the family, as Amsal also grew up with an uncle who played semiprofessional basketball and his mother, who was a multisport athlete — including basketball — in high school.

"It runs in the family," Amsal Delalic said to the Post-Gazette on Sunday. "My mom also played when she was in high school. She played all sorts of sports — volleyball, [soccer], basketball and all the ordinary sports. I had a well-rounded start to sports. I remember going to [his father's] first game, and that's how the love of basketball came to me."

After Amir retired from playing professional basketball in 2008, he opened up his own basketball club in Bosnia in 2009. That's where, at 6 years old, Amsal first began to play the sport.

From there, Delalic went to play basketball from his childhood years all the way through high school and had dreams of playing college basketball in the United States. His favorite player growing up was Kevin Durant. But as Delalic got older, he grew a stronger liking to the play of Serbian NBA star Bogdan Bogdanovic, who plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

While Durant was still a player Delalic enjoyed, he felt Bogdanovic's style was much closer to his own, and that inspired him to find ways to improve his own game as he worked to become a professional basketball player in his home country.

Over his first two seasons with his professional team — Borac Nektar — Delalic developed his style of play to be multitalented. While he felt shooting was always his strength, he wanted to be able to use his quickness and athleticism while also being a good defender against different types of players.

"I'm versatile," Delalic said. "I can guard multiple positions. I can pass the ball. I can rebound and I'm a good playmaker. I'm also good off the ball. I've worked to make my game to include a full package of skills. That's what I want to bring to Pittsburgh."

In his 2023-24 season, Delalic finished averaging 13.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists across 23 games to help Borac Nektar to a 19-11 regular-season finish. He shot 41.5% on his 3-pointers and still grew in how he wanted to play with his team and understand the importance of different paces of play.

"I got more comfortable in the role of a leader," Delalic said. "I wanted to be someone teams can rely on. I had to improve my decision making in games on when to push the pace, slow down or just control the game. Last year, I played my first professional season and I was fighting to learn that. But this year, I was better and earned a lot of minutes as an important player for my team."

In just two seasons of professional play, Delalic was a highly regarded European player and ranked 26th on Eurospects among the class of prospects born in 2003.

But with his growth, he started to look toward achieving the dream he had in his childhood days.

Headed to the U.S.

Delalic's recruitment process began with visits to both Creighton and VCU, the first two programs that expressed interest in him. In early May, he made his first trip to the U.S. to visit both campuses and get a feel for what the college experience might be like. His biggest initial takeaway was the resources that would be available to him now would be greater than anything he had as a professional player in his home country.

"They have everything I need to succeed in my basketball career," Delalic said. "Just seeing the facilities and the equipment, it's on a way different level than it is here for Bosnia for any club."

But after those initial visits to Omaha, Neb., and Richmond, Va., Delalic returned to his home country to think things over. That idle time didn't last long, as he learned that Pitt became a realistic option for him and he knew he had to make a campus visit. While he was exhausted from his first trip, the prospect of Pitt excited him, and he revisited the U.S. just a week after his first trip.

When he got to Pittsburgh, several parts of the city felt like home to him.

"I was greeted there by coach Tim [O'Toole]. The roads reminded me of Belgrade with the way they were built," Delalic said, referring to the capital of Serbia. "It felt very welcoming. It reminded me of Yugoslavia with the structures of buildings and bridges.

"It was great. It felt like home."

During his visit, Delalic got to meet several players on the team, from the Diaz Graham twins to even new transfers and high school recruits like Damian Dunn, Cam Corhen and Brandin Cummings. But what stood out to him was his in-person meeting with Capel, who impressed the 20-year-old.

"The knowledge he has and the freedom he gives his players," Delalic said about what he likes most about Capel. "He played freshmen last year. He has that feel for players that gives his team stability even though they're young. It was great meeting him. I can't wait to learn from him."

By Friday, Delalic committed and signed to Pitt, cementing the dream he had as a child to make it to the U.S. as a college basketball player.

"I'm really thankful for it," Delalic said of getting to play college basketball. "This college thing has been something unbelievable. When I was 15 and 16, I had a dream to play college basketball. It was delayed, but now I'll be 21 and a freshman. It will be different, but it's an unbelievable experience."

Something to prove

Delalic may have never played in the U.S., but he doesn't see that as a demerit against his game or anyone from his league. In fact, one of his teammates on Borac Nektar — guard Jarrod West — has been able to share with him not only stories of playing in the NCAA but also in the ACC, as West was a guard for Louisville during the 2021-22 season.

West led Borac Nektar last season with 15.4 points per game, and Delalic said the former Cardinal has expressed excitement for his teammate to join the Panthers — a team West used to play against. While the two hadn't gotten much time to chat between Delalic's commitment and his conversation with the Post-Gazette, he did say the two had plans to go through a lot of questions about what Delalic's life was about to be like.

"We are excited to add Amsal to our roster," Capel said in the team's statement over Delalic's signing. "He is a talented guard with an outstanding shooting stroke and feel for the game. He has played at a high level internationally and will come into our program ready to compete. We were looking to add another high-upside player with the shooting ability to stretch the floor and Amsal fits that role."

Delalic expects to move to Pitt's campus between June 10-20, so he has a month to get his paperwork in order, pack and prepare for the big move. While his parents are sure to miss him once he leaves, their excitement for his opportunity at Pitt has been the biggest feeling they've expressed to him.

"They're thankful," Delalic said of his parents. "They've seen me live alone and grow up doing things on my own both in basketball and in life. They're thankful for Pittsburgh, coach Capel and coach O'Toole. It's something I never imagined would happen."

While Delalic is confident in his abilities and Pitt is excited to have him on the roster, he made it clear that no guarantees were made about starting positions or playing time. And for Delalic, that's just the way he wants it.

"You have to fight for your position," Delalic said. "I'm going to be a freshman, and it'll be my first year playing in the U.S. I learned to fight for my spot on the team in Bosnia. You always have to work to improve. I don't know what's going to happen, but I'm going to give my 100%."

Just like Delalic had to prove he could make it in the Bosnian Premier League, he expects to have to prove it for Pitt. But he also wants to prove that players from his league shouldn't be looked down upon. That could very well be a chip on his shoulder as he starts his U.S. basketball career.

"Some people think that I played in a bad league, but that's not the case," Delalic said. "Our league has built very strong, young players. I'm ready for the challenge. They may underrate me, but we've got some good players. I've played against Jared Cunningham, who played with the Cavaliers and LeBron James. I've gotten a great experience, and that's given me maturity to know what to do on the floor and at the right times."

Delalic said he focused on web design when he studied in high school and would be interested in furthering that with his education at Pitt, as well as a future in business management. But he plans to keep his mind open about his education and the different directions he could go.

Christopher Carter: ccarter@post-gazette.com and @CarterCritiques on X

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