2018 Recruiting: Filip Petrusev commits to Gonzaga

Filip Petrusev, a four-star 6’11 big man from Serbia, has committed to Gonzaga, via an announcement on Twitter.

The 247 Sports Composite ranks Petrusev as the No. 127 player in the class of 2018, but he has moved up the ranks in recent years. There is a good chance he will move up even higher as his senior year of high school goes on. A Serbian by birth-right, Petrusev plays for Monteverde Academy in Florida, the same school Andrew Nembhard, a highly sought after recruit for Gonzaga that ended up with the Florida Gators.

Petrusev helped Serbia win the U-18 European Championship this summer, averaging 16 points and 10 rebounds per 40 minutes. The focus that Tommy Lloyd and company have placed on Europe over the years appears to pay the dividends it needs. Petrusev told ESPN one of the reasons he chose Gonzaga was because of the ease to fit into the system.

"It's one of the reasons I like Gonzaga so much," Petrusev told ESPN. "It is a privilege, and also gives me motivation to follow their steps and maybe end up like them one day. I see myself fitting perfectly in their system. It reminds me a lot of Europe, always with two big guys, allowing them to play both inside and outside, which will allow me to reach my full potential."

Things were looking a bit dire going forward in the frontcourt for the Zags. Przemek Karnowski graduated last season and Zach Collins left for the NBA Draft. The Zags have one year of Johnathan Williams, and were going to need another high impact forward to join up with Jacob Larsen and Brandon Clarke, and hope that Killian Tillie sticks around. Petrusev is exactly that man, and should be able to contribute immediately in 2018.

Most importantly, for a summer that seemed like the Zags were missing out on each and every recruit, Gonzaga scored one from some other big schools, such as Arizona, Tennessee, and Florida.