San Francisco Adds Forward Žiga Daneu
8/14/2026 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Head coach Chris Gerlufsen and the University of San Francisco men's basketball program announced today the signing of forward Žiga Daneu (Ljubljana, Slovenia).
"We are thrilled to announce the signing of Ziga Daneu to our basketball family here at USF," said Gerlufsen. "His size, skill and high level of experience will be an immediate boost to our frontcourt. Ziga has multi-positional versatility and a sharp basketball IQ that will translate well to our system. We can't wait to get him to the Hilltop!"
Standing at 6'11", Daneu came through Cedevita Olimpija's youth system in Slovenia and debuted with the senior organization before playing for Ilirija in 2022-23 and Helios Domžale in 2023-24. He returned to Cedevita Olimpija in 2024 and signed a two-year contract extension with the club in June 2025.
In September 2024, Daneu helped Olimpija capture the Slovenian Super Cup, scoring 16 points en route to earning Super Cup MVP honors. He later helped the club capture all three Slovenian domestic trophies during the 2024-25 season.
Daneu has also competed with the senior Slovenian national team. During the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, he averaged 9.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 20 minutes per game. His standout performance came against Ukraine in February 2025, when he recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds while adding four steals and two blocks.
Daneu comes from a decorated Slovenian basketball family. His grandfather, Ivo Daneu, is a FIBA Hall of Famer and one of the most accomplished players in Slovenian and Yugoslav basketball history. His father, Jaka Daneu, also played professionally and represented Slovenia internationally.
For updates and more information on the University of San Francisco men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on X, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram, and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
"We are thrilled to announce the signing of Ziga Daneu to our basketball family here at USF," said Gerlufsen. "His size, skill and high level of experience will be an immediate boost to our frontcourt. Ziga has multi-positional versatility and a sharp basketball IQ that will translate well to our system. We can't wait to get him to the Hilltop!"
Standing at 6'11", Daneu came through Cedevita Olimpija's youth system in Slovenia and debuted with the senior organization before playing for Ilirija in 2022-23 and Helios Domžale in 2023-24. He returned to Cedevita Olimpija in 2024 and signed a two-year contract extension with the club in June 2025.
In September 2024, Daneu helped Olimpija capture the Slovenian Super Cup, scoring 16 points en route to earning Super Cup MVP honors. He later helped the club capture all three Slovenian domestic trophies during the 2024-25 season.
Daneu has also competed with the senior Slovenian national team. During the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers, he averaged 9.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 20 minutes per game. His standout performance came against Ukraine in February 2025, when he recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds while adding four steals and two blocks.
Daneu comes from a decorated Slovenian basketball family. His grandfather, Ivo Daneu, is a FIBA Hall of Famer and one of the most accomplished players in Slovenian and Yugoslav basketball history. His father, Jaka Daneu, also played professionally and represented Slovenia internationally.
For updates and more information on the University of San Francisco men's basketball program, follow the Dons @USFDonsMBB on X, @USFDonsMBB on Instagram, and @USFDonsMBB on Facebook.
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