Michael Ružić
 Ružić with the basketball | |
| No. 23 – Joventut Badalona | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward / center |
| League | Liga ACB |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 4 October 2006 France |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023 | Prat |
| 2023–present | Joventut Badalona |
Michael Ružić (born 4 October 2006) is a Croatian professional basketball player for Joventut Badalona of the Liga ACB.
Early life
[edit]Ružić was born on 4 October 2006 in France, to Croatian parents.[1][2] He received his name for Michael Jordan and Michael Schumacher.[3] His father, Tomislav Ružić, played professional basketball while his mother, Barbara Jelić-Ružić, played volleyball and is considered one of the best Croatian volleyball players of all time.[3][4] His grandfather, Ivica Jelić, competed in volleyball at the 1980 Summer Olympics, his aunt, Vesna Jelić, competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, and an uncle, Jura Ružić, played for the national basketball team.[3]
As a youth, Ružić played for junior teams of the club KK Zadar in Croatia.[3] At age 14, he played in the league for those a year older and led his team to the pre-cadet championship, scoring 12 points in the final.[3] In 2022–23, he led KK Zadar to the cadet championship and participated at the junior championship.[3] He also competed at the Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament with the club and averaged 19 points, while he also averaged 18 in the regional junior league.[3]
Professional career
[edit]Ružić was a highly regarded recruit and departed KK Zadar for Joventut Badalona in Spain in June 2023.[5] He started with the junior team, CB Prat, where he appeared in six games and averaged 10.0 points.[1] After injuries to players for the senior team, he was promoted and made his debut on 31 October 2023, in a EuroCup Basketball game.[6] He remained with the first team and made his Liga ACB debut in November, becoming the sixth-youngest player in team history.[2] He ended up playing in 26 games for Joventut during the 2023–24 season, finishing with averages of 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.[7] He had one game with a double-double and became only the second player in team history to do it under the age of 18.[8]
On 1 February 2024, signed a contract extension with Jovnetut through 2029.[9] In June 2024, he participated in the Adidas Eurocamp and was named one of the competition's "Rising Stars" after averaging 17 points and 4.6 rebounds.[10]
International career
[edit]Ružić played with the Croatian national under-16 team at the 2022 FIBA U16 European Championship, where he averaged 7.0 points and 5.4 rebounds in seven games.[1][3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Michael Ruzic". Proballers.com.
- ^ a b "¿Quién es Michael Ruzic? Te presentamos al joven croata que llama a la puerta en la Penya" [Who is Michael Ruzic? Meet the young Croatian who is knocking on the door at Penya]. Gigantes.com (in Spanish). 15 November 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Kačan, Matej (5 December 2023). "Michael Ružić i svi Zadrovi problemi" [Michael Ružić and all Zadar's problems]. Telegram.hr (in Croatian).
- ^ "Mladi Michael Ružić – za kojim lude NBA skauti" [Young Michael Ružić - who NBA scouts are crazy about]. Slobodna Dalmacija (in Croatian). 15 May 2024.
- ^ Brajdić, Dražen (29 June 2023). "Vrlo talentirani kadet Michael Ružić odlazi iz prvaka Zadra u španjolski Joventut" [The very talented cadet Michael Ružić leaves the champion Zadar for the Spanish Joventut]. Večernji list (in Croatian).
- ^ "Michael Ruzic". Verd-i-negres.cat (in Catalan).
- ^ Bernucca, Andrew (August 26, 2024). "NBA Draft: Will Michael Ruzic Be a Part of Badalona's Plans This Season?". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "La explosión de Michael Ruzic" [Michael Ruzic's explosion]. ACB.com (in Spanish). 12 May 2024.
- ^ "Michael Ruzic: la perla croata que brillará en Badalona hasta el 2029" [Michael Ruzic: the Croatian pearl that will shine in Badalona until 2029]. Joventut Badalona. 1 February 2024.
- ^ Wasserman, Jonathan (June 5, 2024). "Biggest NBA Draft Takeaways from Adidas Eurocamp 2024". Bleacher Report.