Michael Ruzic, a Croatian basketball player, will join LSU, according to On3. Ruzic did not go through the NBA Draft process again after withdrawing last year.
Ruzic has been playing professionally abroad for the past three seasons. He played for Joventut Badalona, a Liga ACB club in Spain. This past season, Ruzic averaged 6. 5 points and 3. 8 rebounds per game.
In his 2025 NBA Draft profile, Michael Ruzic was described as “tall with a high release point on his jumper, which is fluid and the highlight of his game. He can utilize that shooting danger as an advantage to cut as well, finishing near the basket with relative ease due to his height. That height also gives him defensive potential as a shot blocker.
Ruzic was expected to be a “stretch five at the NBA level,” with “length shooting and shot-blocking potential. ” Ruzic would have been chosen in the second round if he hadn’t backed out from the draft.
Michael Ruzic will join Will Wade in his second season at LSU.
Ruzic will join an LSU team rebuilding its roster under head coach Will Wade. LSU hired Wade in March, following a season with NC State. From 2017 until 2022, he was the Tigers’ head coach, but was dismissed after the NCAA issued a notice of charges based on inquiries into allegations of recruiting misconduct.
It’s no surprise that Wade pursued Ruzic, as he previously stated that he wants to bring in more foreign players. “This year I’m going to lean a bit heavier on the international route,” Wade told Jon Rothstein’s Inside College Basketball Now podcast. “This will be the last year that some of those guys are eligible. So we’re going to focus a little more on the worldwide strategy. Those youngsters have a lot of experience. They have acquired some natural knowledge over there that actually benefits college basketball and may transfer to college basketball in the United States.
“We’re gonna definitely get some of the best guys we can from the transfer portal. We’ve got a few, and we’re going to try to get a few more, but we’re going to supplement that with some foreign players.
