Penn State basketball earns commitment from 7-foot international big man

Penn State basketball has gone overseas to add to its 2025-26 roster. On Tuesday, the Nittany Lions earned a commitment from Croatian forward Ivan Juric in the class of 2025.

Juric’s decision was first reported by Jonathan Givony of ESPN and Draft Express. The 7’0, 244-pound big man spent his senior season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas.

NEWS: Croatian 7-footer Ivan Juric has committed to Penn State, agent Misko Raznatovic told ESPN.

Juric posted 14.4 points, 5.9 rebounds in 25 minutes per game at the FIBA U18 Eurobasket last summer, going 7/14 for 3 in 7 games. pic.twitter.com/yaKlKPjTW1

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 6, 2025

A three-star, Juric is the 20th-ranked center in the country for the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to On3. He turned heads at the FIBA U18 Eurobasket last summer, averaging 14.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in seven games for the Croatian national team. He then averaged 5.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 15.3 minutes per game for Sunrise last season.

Some clips from this year’s FIBA U18 EuroBasket #fibau18europe pic.twitter.com/8lkslQ0hgJ

— Ivan Jurić (@juricivan3) August 7, 2024

Penn State basketball has hit the international market for high school big men in each of the last two recruiting cycles, adding Bragi Gudmundsson (Iceland) in 2023 and Hudson Ward (Canada) in 2024. Both have since transferred out of the program. The Nittany Lions are also awaiting a decision regarding the 2025-26 season from rising Swiss star Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who is exploring the NBA Draft.

Juric becomes the fourth commit for Mike Rhoades in 2025, joining top 50 recruit Kayden Mingo along with Mason Blackwood and Justin Houser. In April, the Nittany Lions also added a transfer portal commitment from former Cincinnati guard Josh Reed.

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