Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler announced the addition of Croatian center Ivan Njegovan. Credit: Ohio State Athletics
Ohio State’s men’s basketball team has officially finalized its roster for the upcoming season.
The Buckeyes are signing Croatian center Ivan Njegovan from KK Bosco of Favbet Premier League, the top Croatian 12-team league, awarding him with the team’s final scholarship spot for the 2024-25 season, according to a Tuesday press release from Ohio State Athletics.
Head coach Jake Diebler said in the release he believes Njegovan will be a great addition to the program.
“Ivan is a good young big man with high level international experience,” Diebler said. “His skill and size will add to our depth in the front court.”
The 7-foot-1 center has spent the past three years playing professional ball in the AdmiralBet Adriatic Basketball Association, also known as ABA, League and Croatian Premier League and Croatian Premier Leagues.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Njegovan began his career for KK Zadar of the Favbet Premier League, climbing the ranks of the club’s cadet program before earning a spot to play for U19 and eventually top professional teams.
Despite playing just 20 games last season with KK Bosco, Njegovan anchored Bosco’s defense, averaging a team-high in both rebounds and blocks with 4.8 and 1.6 per game, respectively, according to Eleven Warriors.
The 19-year-old big man also managed to put up 8.1 points per game, shooting 53.3% from the field and 31.3% from 3-point range on 16 shots from distance.
This past summer, Njegovan competed in the U20 European Championships for the Croatian National Team, averaging 6.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists over the course of seven games, all while helping Croatia to a 4-3 record in the tournament, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
Njegovan will face an uphill battle for consistent minutes as a freshman. The Croatian center will be behind two Ohio State transfers in sophomore forwards Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart, as well as two returning sophomores with forward Devin Royal and center Austin Parks, both of whom already have a year of experience within Diebler’s system.
