Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
By JACK LeGWIN & ADAM ZAGORIA Amar Alibegovic has committed to St. John’s and will be eligible for the upcoming season.
SNY.tv was the first to report the news Wednesday afternoon.
“We are pleased that Amar has chosen to join our St. John’s basketball family,” head coach Steve Lavin said. “Amar has the skill, size and basketball intellect to help fuel our purposes as we continue to build our program into a sustainable winner.”
Ranked as the No. 41 prospect of his age in Europe, the 6-foot-9 Alibegovic helped Bosnia and Herzegovina post a perfect 8-0 mark to sweep the field and win the U20 European Championship Division B in mid-July. The forward had three double-figure scoring games and averaged 5.1 points to go with 2.8 rebounds in the tournament. Alibegovic also shot 54.8 percent from the floor, including a 35.3 percent clip from long range. Earlier in July, Alibegovic had been named to the preliminary 23-man roster for the Senior National Team.
The forward, who was born in Oregon, has also played in Italy with the Stella Azzurra junior squad. Alibegovic averaged 6.0 points and 3.3 boards, while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor during his stint with the Italian team.
Alibegovic is the son of former Oregon State basketball standout Teo Alibegovic, who joined Gary Payton in guiding the Beavers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1988-89 and 1989-90. The elder Alibegovic averaged 18.1 points per game as a senior and earned All-Pac 12 honors.
The Bosnian stretch four is the third big man to commit to the Johnnies in the Class of 2014, joining 6-8 Keith Thomas of Westchester Community Collegeand 6-11 Adonis Delarosa of Christ the King.
As previously reported by SNY.tv, Lavin skipped Peach Jam to recruit Alibegovic and it paid off with this commitment.
Alibegovic visited the campus with another St. John’s target, 6-4 guard Malik Beasley, over the weekend.
The Johnnies remain involved for 2015 recruits Beasley, Isaiah Briscoe, Brandon Sampson, Tyler Dorsey, Cheick Diallo and Dupree McBrayer. McBrayer, a combo guard out of Elizabeth (N.J.) Patrick School, is on an unofficial to St. John’s on Wednesday.
Follow Jack on Twitter
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
By JACK LeGWIN & ADAM ZAGORIA
Amar Alibegovic has committed to St. John’s and will be eligible for the upcoming season.
SNY.tv was the first to report the news Wednesday afternoon.
“We are pleased that Amar has chosen to join our St. John’s basketball family,” head coach Steve Lavin said. “Amar has the skill, size and basketball intellect to help fuel our purposes as we continue to build our program into a sustainable winner.”
Ranked as the No. 41 prospect of his age in Europe, the 6-foot-9 Alibegovic helped Bosnia and Herzegovina post a perfect 8-0 mark to sweep the field and win the U20 European Championship Division B in mid-July. The forward had three double-figure scoring games and averaged 5.1 points to go with 2.8 rebounds in the tournament. Alibegovic also shot 54.8 percent from the floor, including a 35.3 percent clip from long range. Earlier in July, Alibegovic had been named to the preliminary 23-man roster for the Senior National Team.
The forward, who was born in Oregon, has also played in Italy with the Stella Azzurra junior squad. Alibegovic averaged 6.0 points and 3.3 boards, while shooting 56.3 percent from the floor during his stint with the Italian team.
Alibegovic is the son of former Oregon State basketball standout Teo Alibegovic, who joined Gary Payton in guiding the Beavers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1988-89 and 1989-90. The elder Alibegovic averaged 18.1 points per game as a senior and earned All-Pac 12 honors.
The Bosnian stretch four is the third big man to commit to the Johnnies in the Class of 2014, joining 6-8 Keith Thomas of Westchester Community College and 6-11 Adonis Delarosa of Christ the King.
As previously reported by SNY.tv, Lavin skipped Peach Jam to recruit Alibegovic and it paid off with this commitment.
Alibegovic visited the campus with another St. John’s target, 6-4 guard Malik Beasley, over the weekend.
The Johnnies remain involved for 2015 recruits Beasley, Isaiah Briscoe, Brandon Sampson, Tyler Dorsey, Cheick Diallo and Dupree McBrayer. McBrayer, a combo guard out of Elizabeth (N.J.) Patrick School, is on an unofficial to St. John’s on Wednesday.
Follow Jack on Twitter
