Who is Ivan Njegovan? All we know about 7-foot-1 center that committed to Ohio State 

Ivan Njegovan is a Croatian player who was recently announced as Ohio State's latest addition for the 2024-25 basketball season. Njegovan enters as a true freshman and joins with four full years of eligibility under coach Jake Diebler.

The news about the 7-foot-1 center was announced along with the addition of transfer guard Ques Glover. In a statement released by the school, coach Diebler said:

“I’m excited for both Ques and Ivan as I think they are both are great additions to our program. Ivan is a good young big man with high level international experience. His skill and size will add to our depth in the front court.”

Ivan Njegovan is the first international Buckeyes player since Amadeo Della Valle. The Italian guard joined Ohio State in 2012, playing just two seasons. He averaged 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 48 games.

Njegovan will likely come off the bench, behind Aaron Bradshaw. He could also battle it out for minutes with Sean Stewart and Devin Royal on the front court.

Ivan Njegovan's player profile

In the last three basketball seasons, the Zadar, Croatia native played in the Adriatic Basketball Association, also known as ABA. He also participated in the Croatian Premier League, where he mostly played for the teams from his hometown in Zadar.

The highest level of Croatian professional basketball is the Favbet Primijer Liga. The 19-year-old last played in the league for KK Bosco. The center averaged 8.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.6 bpg.

On the international side, Njegovan was a part of the Croatian national team that competed in the U20 European Championship in the summer. In the seven games he played for Croatia, Njegovan averaged 6.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.1 apg and 1.1 bpg in 16.7 minutes of game time.

The center's best performance in the tournament came on July 21 when Croatia took on Bulgaria. He finished with 15 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. It was with this performance that Ivan Njegovan got the Buckeyes staff excited about the prospect of his joining.

It is expected that Njegovan would take some time to better assimilate with the team and the new country. But once he is ready, Njegovan should add more size, versatility and skill playing alongside Kentucky transfer signee Bradshaw.

What do you think of Ivan Njegovan's addition to the Ohio State Buckeyes roster? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.