How Buckeyes basketball recruit Mathieu Gruijicic has adjusted to life at Ohio State

Having been born in France and raised in Germany, Mathieu Gruijicic didn't experience any culture shock when he rocked up in the United States.

And as he prepares for his first year with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Gruijicic has settled into life on campus and is ready for the step-up in competition he will face in the Big Ten.

A former Barcelona youth player, he excelled in this year's Adidas Next Generation Tournament, a youth competition held by the EuroLeague.

He posted three 20-point games, averaging 14.1 points and 3.6 rebounds a game, along with being named the MVP of the Ulm qualifiers before moving to the final round of games in Abu Dhabi.

The prodigy was also an MVP at the Basketball Without Borders camp, where he caught the eye of the Buckeyes.

And as he prepares for his freshman year, he will bring a mature offensive game with a varied array of skills, such as shooting, finding gaps in the defense for easy scores inside and tremendous court vision, which suits the more methodical, high-tactical basketball, which European hoops is famed for.

"I think it was summer 2023 after the European Championships when my agent already told me that college might be an option," Grujicic said.

"Because the summer of 2023 was the summer where a couple more Europeans than normal went to the NCAA. Last summer, a lot more went, and then this summer it exploded."

Gruijicic added: "My talks with Coach [Jake] Diebler, I think that was for sure the biggest factor.

"Then also the interest they showed in me after the first Zoom we had. Unfortunately, I couldn't do any visits, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

No doubt he will relish the opportunity with the Buckeyes. Usually, it takes a while longer for players from Europe to settle and adjust to life in the United States.

But this hasn't phased Grujicic, who was born to a Serbian father and a French mother. The 18-year-old was born in Arles, in southern France, along the Rhône River between Montpellier and Marseille.

He began playing basketball at age eight, combining the hardwood with his love of martial arts, before focusing entirely on basketball when living in Berlin.

Grujicic ended up playing with ALBA Berlin. He rose through the club's ranks and also helped them to the 2023 U16 JBBL title in his final game for the German side, exploding for 52 points and nine rebounds against Fraport Skyliners. He has represented Germany at the junior level as well.

Off the court, Grujicic is incredibly intelligent and humble. He speaks five different languages, something that is actually incredibly common in Europe.

"If some people that know me hear it, they might argue with me because my Serbian is not too good," Grujicic said jokingly at Ohio State's basketball media day.

"But it's German, French, English, Spanish, a little bit of Catalan, and then, yeah, a little bit of Serbian. But I wouldn't even consider, like, talking (in Serbian), I understand it better than I talk."

Time will tell if he can talk a big game when their season starts on November 3 against the IU Indy Jaguars.