Did Creighton Grab Themselves A Cheat Code In Fedor Zugic?

Does Zugic's professional experience give him an unfair advantage in the College ranks?

Creighton broke the mold and may very well have just changed the game by signing Fedor Zugic. The Montenegrin wing signed an NIL deal last week and will be 21 by the time the season starts. After spending the past six years playing professionally at some big clubs in Europe, what kind of edge does this give Zugic and what kind of player are Creighton getting?

Starting his professional career at KK Buducnost in his native Montenegro, Zugic became the youngest ever to play in the Euro League when he made his debut for Buducnost in the EuroLeague against Kaunas on 22 February 2019 at only 15 years 157 days old. After spending two years at Buducnost, during which time he won the Montenegrin League and Cup in 2021, Zugic signed for German powerhouse ratiopharm Ulm. After his first season at Ulm, Zugic declared for the 2022 NBA Draft before subsequently withdrawing his name and returning for a second season at Ulm, where he would win the German championship.

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Zugic signed for fellow Bundesliga team BG Goettingen, where he quickly established himself as a key part of the rotation, putting up averages of 10.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.5 steals on shooting splits of 45/35/74 across all competitions in 2023-24. So what exactly are Creighton getting in Fedor Zugic?

Well, for starters, they get a player that has the potential to dominate straight away. He has six years of high level professional basketball under his belt already and has experience of winning. They are getting someone who has the experience to make a meaningful difference both on and off the court, and they are getting a fantastic player.

Zugic is a good shooter at present, shooting 35.8% from 3 last year on 3.5 attempts a game. He is comfortable shooting off movement and from catch & shoot situations. Put the ball in his hands and he is an underrated playmaker who is capable of making the right reads. He runs the pick & roll well with a good sense of when to attack and when to dish to an open teammate. He has added a good amount of muscle to his frame and uses it well to muscle his way to the rim. On defense, he will compete hard but it won't be his calling card at the next level. He’ll make his name with his scoring prowess and high basketball IQ.

He has the potential to form a lethal pick & roll combo with Ryan Kalkbrenner if he's given the opportunity to have the ball in his hands. In Kalkbrenner, Creighton have a strong finisher inside and with Zugic they have someone that is creative with the ball in their hands, a potentially lethal shooter and a three-level scoring threat.

Zugic isn't coming into the college game with a ton of hype like some of his freshman contemporaries like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey or Dylan Harper, but he is coming in with a wealth of experience that is unmatched by other freshman that should give him a distinct advantage. Zugic has potentially opened the floodgates for other experienced International prospects to extend their eligibility window and make the most of their experience to carve out a role at the college level and beyond. We've seen International guys come in to the college game, but very few have the experience that Zugic has coming in to Creighton.

It's now over to Zugic to make the most of his opportunity and we’ll be watching with keen eyes to see how he progresses.