After missing out on several 2018 recruits, Gonzaga basketball finally lands his first commitment. Serbian forward Filip Petrusev is heading to Spokane.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs finally added a piece to their 2018 recruiting class when Serbian forward Filip Petrusev announced his commitment on Twitter. The four-star big man chose the Zags over some big-name Power-5 programs.
Petrusev is the next recruit in a long line of international big men that have come to Spokane. In recent years, the Zags have relied on players like Kelly Olynyk, Elias Harris, Przemek Karnowski and Domantas Sabonis to anchor the team’s interior play. The Zags currently have three European players on the roster: French forward Killian Tillie, Danish center Jacob Larsen, and French guard Joel Ayayi.
Petrusev became a highly targeted international recruit after his efficient performance during Serbia’s FIBA U18 European Championship run. Petrusev played limited minutes but was able to average 16 points and 10 rebounds per 40 minutes while shooting 55.2% from the field.
Gonzaga will need Petrusev to play well on the defensive end as they lose senior forward Jonathan Williams after this season, and there is no guarantee that Tillie stays either. Even if Tillie leaves, the prospect of having Petrusev, Larsen and San Jose State transfer Brandon Clarke in the Zags’ frontcourt will give most WCC teams issues.
Petrusev is an excellent interior scorer, but also has great ball handling and passing ability, which makes double-teaming him a risky move. Much like with Karnowski last year, Coach Few may look for Petrusev to collapse the defense in order to free up on of Gonzaga’s perimeter threats.
Petrusev will play his final high school season at Monteverde Academy in Florida after missing last year with an injury.
Next: 2017-18 Gonzaga Season Preview
With Petrusev’s commitment, Gonzaga no longer has an empty 2018 class. The commitment also further solidifies Assistant Coach Tommy Lloyd as one of the best European recruiters in college basketball. Gonzaga basketball excels in player scouting and development and that could once again be the case with Petrusev.