Ohio State brings aboard Croatian center Ivan Njegovan
COLUMBUS — The 2024-25 Ohio State roster is now set. First-year Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler and his staff filled their 13th and final scholarship spot with the addition of 7-foot-1 Croatian center Ivan Njegovan Tuesday.
The news comes a day after Diebler and Co. brought aboard journeyman guard Ques Glover, who won’t be on scholarship but will play the role of a scholarship player. Most notably, Glover will bolster Ohio State’s guard depth following Taison Chatman’s season-ending ACL tear earlier this summer.
“I’m excited for both Ques and Ivan as I think they are both are great additions to our program,” Diebler said in a statement Tuesday.
“Ques is a veteran guard that has played at a high level in the collegiate game. Adding his experience and playmaking strengthens an already talented backcourt. Ivan is a good, young big man with high-level international experience. His skill and size will add to our depth in the frontcourt.”
Glover is going on his sixth year of college basketball. He joins the Buckeyes after spending two years at Florida, two years at Samford and then making a pit stop at BYU before settling in at Kansas State for the 2023-24 season.
Njegovan, on the other hand, will arrive at Ohio State with four years of eligibility remaining. He’ll turn 20 on Sept. 18. Hailing from Zadar, Croatia, he’s played the last three seasons in the ABA and Croatian Premier Leagues, including for KK Bosco in the Favbet Premier League, otherwise known as the top level of Croatian professional basketball.
In 20 games with KK Bosco during the 2023-24 season, Njegovan averaged 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest.
This summer, Njegovan took part in the U20 European Championships for the Croatian National Team. He averaged 6.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per outing. That seven-game stretch culminated in an impressive performance against Bulgaria on July 21, during which he piled up 15 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.
Njegovan will compete for playing time in the frontcourt this season at Ohio State with Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw, Duke transfer Sean Stewart and returning sophomore Austin Parks. Now the Buckeyes have three pure centers in Bradshaw, Parks and Njegovan.
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