Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades and his staff have been working diligently this offseason in an attempt to revamp their roster. It’s been moving at a slow pace so far, but Rhoades dipped his toes internationally for his next acquisition.
Penn State lands commitment from 7-footer, Ivan Juric
Ivan Juric is a seven-foot, 244-pound forward/center from Croatia. After averaging 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds a game at last summer’s U18 Eurobasket, he played this past year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, playing against the top high school teams in the country, including IMG Academy and Montverde Academy in the EYBL Scholastic League.
Juric might play the stretch four for the Nittany Lions, especially if star center Yanic Konan Niederhauser decides to return. Konan Niederhauser is weighing a jump to the NBA and has received an invite to the NBA G-League Elite Camp. Juric has some athleticism and runs the floor well, so he could pair nicely with Konan Niederhauser.
Juric is certainly still raw as a prospect. He averaged just 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for Sunrise Christian last season.
He will join the incoming freshmen class that includes Kayden Mingo, Mason Blackwood, and Justin Houser. Penn State’s roster for next season currently resides at nine scholarship spots:
- Guards - Freddie Dilione V, Kayden Mingo, Dominick Stewart
- Forwards - Josh Reed, Eli Rice, Mason Blackwood
- Bigs - Yanic Konan Niederhauser*, Ivan Juric, Justin Houser
*if Niederhauser withdraws from NBA Draft
Certainly, Penn State needs more scoring prowess and depth at both guard and forward. It will be interesting if Rhoades gets another portal addition or two from international waters.
The Nittany Lions still await a decision from Niederhauser, which might not occur for a few more weeks. He was not invited to the NBA Draft Combine, but did receive an invite to the G League combine. The NBA Draft withdrawal deadline is June 15th.