Video by Joe Giacalone
At the end of his freshman season, it seemed Peter Bandelj’s time at Cal Poly was coming to an early end. The Slovenian guard entered the transfer portal, leading many to believe he was leaving San Luis Obispo.
Bandelj served as the sixth man for Cal Poly Men’s Basketball during his freshman season, playing a key role and flashing significant potential in first-year head coach Mike DeGeorge’s run to the Big West Tournament semifinals.
However, Bandelj opted to stay at Cal Poly for his sophomore season, and pointed to the loss in the post-season last year as a main reason for returning.
Credit: Léa Bourges-Sevenier / Mustang News
“I felt like I had unfinished business. I believed staying one more year with the coaches in such a strong program would help me become a better basketball player,” Bandelj said.
Since then, he’s emerged as a major contributor. This season, he is averaging 14 points, four rebounds and three assists per contest, showing growth across the board.
Most notably, his three-point shooting has improved from 32% last season to 37% this year. DeGeorge credits that growth to Bandelj’s work ethic.
“He’s driven, goal-oriented and stubborn,” DeGeorge said. “Once he sets his mind to something, he sees it through.”
From Slovenia to San Luis Obispo
Bandelj’s journey to Cal Poly is as compelling as his development on the court. He hails from Ljubljana, which is Slovenia’s capital city of roughly 300,000 people.
While soccer is the country’s most popular sport, basketball has brought Slovenia its most significant international sporting success.
Credit: Peter Bandelj / Courtesy
Credit: Peter Bandelj / Courtesy
The sport’s popularity has been especially elevated by NBA stars Luka Dončić and Goran Dragić, both native to the city and regarded as national legends.
“It’s probably our most successful sport, especially since we’re not strong in football,” Bandelj said.
The Slovenia men’s national basketball team has seen impressive success in the past decade, winning the European Basketball Championships in 2017 and placing fourth in the summer games in Tokyo in 2020.
Credit: Peter Bandelj / Courtesy
Slovenia Men’s National U16
Played for Slovenia Men’s National U16 Team, averaging north of 16 points across five games in in the FIBA EuroBasket
Credit: Peter Bandelj / Courtesy
Royal Crown Prep Academy
Played in Toronto, Canada for prep academy Royal Crown. Bandelj averaged just above 12 points and five rebounds in 17 games while helping them to the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association league title
Bandelj especially connects with Dragić, citing him as a major role model in his international journey.
“He’s not the tallest or most athletic, but he’s a true fighter, and that really inspired me,” Bandelj said.
Before coming to the U.S., Bandelj played for Slovenia’s Men’s National Basketball team, competing in FIBA tournaments in Greece and Serbia. After, he attended Royal Crown School in Toronto, and helped win an Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association title and scored in double figures 11 times.
DeGeorge learned about him through assistant coach Ron Dubois, who had connections to one of Bandelj’s coaches up north. After some deliberation and conversations with the coaching staff, they decided to recruit him to be a Mustang.
After he reached the Big West semifinals just one year ago, he believes Cal Poly has another opportunity to compete for a conference title. With his growth and determination, the team is counting on Bandelj to play a pivotal role as they wrap up the regular season and enter the Big West Championships.
This story originally appeared in the March printed edition of Mustang News. Check out more stories from the issue here.