What additions of guard Ques Glover, center Ivan Njegovan mean for Ohio State
COLUMBUS — Maybe now Jake Diebler can finally exhale. The first-year Ohio State head coach has finally finalized his 2024-25 roster after two late July personnel moves.
Diebler and his staff added journeyman guard Ques Glover and international center Ivan Njegovan this week.
Lettermen Row is breaking down those additions and what they mean for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State has addressed guard depth after Taison Chatman’s season-ending injury
After second-year Buckeyes guard Taison Chatman suffered a season-ending ACL tear earlier this summer, Diebler had options. One of those options was sitting tight with the guards Ohio State already had. Another was finding a guard in the transfer portal, which is easier said than done at this time of the year. But the Buckeyes eventually found their guy.
Glover will bring significant experience to an Ohio State backcourt that’s led by junior Bruce Thornton as well as fifth-year senior Meechie Johnson Jr. and also features an intriguing freshman in sharpshooter Juni Mobley. Glover played his high school ball at Bearden in Knoxville, Tennessee, and is going on his sixth year of college basketball. He started his career at Florida, then went to Samford, then spent a couple months at BYU before settling in at Kansas State ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Except, a season-ending knee injury sidelined Glover last year.
Although Ohio State is technically his fifth school, he’s played games at only two: Florida and Samford. The 6-foot, 185-pound guard was with the SEC’s Gators for two years and the Southern Conference’s Bulldogs for another two years. He scored in double figures four times as a freshman at Florida, but all 21 of his 20-plus-point outings came at Samford, where he notably starred in 2021-22. That season, Glover ranked third in the SoCon with 19.2 points per game and second with 4.4 assists per game en route to earning consensus first-team All-SoCon honors.
Glover is a capable 3-point shooter but not the most accurate — he’s shot 30.6% from beyond the arc in his career — however, he shines as a driver. He can take the rock to the hole with a quick first step, good physicality in the paint and artistry around the rim. Glover knows how to effectively navigate screens as a ball handler. He can flip the accelerator after a hesitation or crossover move, and he’s got a spot-up, mid-range jumper in his bag.
Ivan Njegovan gives Buckeyes another pure center
Ohio State now has two 7-foot-1 players on its roster: Kentucky transfer Aaron Bradshaw, a former top-five overall prospect in the 2023 class, and Ivan Njegovan, a Croatian 19-year-old who will have four years of eligibility with the Buckeyes.
Njegovan spent the last three seasons playing in the ABA and Croatian Premier Leagues, including for KK Bosco in the Favbet Premier League, otherwise known as the top level of Croatian professional basketball. In 20 games with KK Bosco during the 2023-24 season, Njegovan averaged 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest.
This summer, Njegovan took part in the U20 European Championships for the Croatian National Team. He averaged 6.1 points and 6.6 rebounds per outing. That seven-game stretch culminated in an impressive performance against Bulgaria on July 21, during which he piled up 15 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks.
Like Bradshaw, Njegovan has an outside shot that can help Ohio State stretch the floor. That said, he’s got a long release that might need to be tightened up before he’s letting those kinds of shots fly in Big Ten play. Njegovan has a nice vision and touch as a passer, whether he’s going high-to-low or working the ball to a cutter from the post. His rim protection is intriguing and could be where he contributes right away. Offensively, he moves pretty well in the paint, too, including off pick-and-roll actions.
While Ohio State already had Bradshaw and returning sophomore Austin Parks at the center position — plus the option of playing Duke transfer forward Sean Stewart at the five — Njegovan gives the Buckeyes another pure center. That depth could come in handy. Don’t look now, but Ohio State has a young but head-turning frontcourt at the moment.
Njegovan is on scholarship, but Glover isn’t
Even before Chatman went down with his ACL tear, Ohio State was targeting a big man. The Buckeyes didn’t let up on that pursuit post-injury. They just got creative.
Glover won’t be on scholarship, but he’ll play the role of a scholarship player, maybe even taking the spot in the rotation Chatman was going to have. It’s hard to tell what exactly Glover’s usage will be, except it’s clear that he won’t be your typical preferred walk-on. THE Foundation, an NIL collective that supports Ohio State Athletics, has assisted Diebler in building his first roster. And it signed Glover to an NIL deal that helped make his addition possible.
So Ohio State was able to bolster its guard depth while still reeling in a developmental center. That’s where Njegovan comes in: He occupies the 13th and final scholarship spot on the 2024-25 Buckeyes roster.
In total, Ohio State has 16 players this season, two of whom joined the team just before the calendar flipped to August. Despite two key graduations, five transfer departures and one season-ending injury, the Buckeyes have come up with a promising squad for Diebler’s first year at the helm.
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