Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
Assumption's Ivan Prug drives the lane in a game earlier this season. The 6-foot-8 Prug made the decision last August to leave his homeland of Croatia to attend school and play basketball in the United States.
Assumption's Ivan Prug puts up a shot against Western Dubuque during a Class 3A substate semifinal recently at Assumption High School. Prug is averaging 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the 19-5 Knights.
Assumption's Ivan Prug attempts a 3-point shot in a game earlier this season. Prug is shooting better than 50% from beyond the arc for the Knights.
Ivan Prug did not play basketball until about five years ago. His parents and two older sisters never participated or were around the game growing up.
“I used to play water polo,” Prug said, “but I was like 6-foot-2 and I used to watch these big NBA games. When you’re that tall at that age, everybody wants to see you on a basketball court.”
Basketball and his enjoyment for it stuck.
Born and raised in Croatia, Prug made the decision last summer to leave his homeland and come to the United States to further his education and pursue his basketball career.
Listed at 6-8, the senior has become an instrumental piece in Davenport Assumption High School’s run to the Class 3A state tournament this season.
Prug is the team’s second-leading scorer (13.7 ppg.) and top rebounder (6.5 rpg.) as the eighth-ranked Knights face Humboldt in a state quarterfinal at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday inside Wells Fargo Arena.
Assumption coach Joe Ewen can remember watching Prug play for the first time last fall.
“Wow, he’s good,” Ewen said. “The skill set for a 6-8 kid, as well as he shoots it and handles it, it isn’t something we see a ton of in the (Mississippi Athletic Conference) or in this state. I was really impressed with his skill set, demeanor and how hard he works.”
Since he became enamored with basketball, Prug said he has had a desire to play at the collegiate level in America. He has heard and read the stories about other Croatians who carved out success playing professional basketball here — the late Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja, Ivica Zubac and many others.
With no high school basketball offered in Croatia — all club ball stretching from September until May — Prug said it was difficult to balance academics and basketball effectively.
“I had people suggest to me the best way to show your ability and how good you are to college coaches is to come here for at least one year or maybe a little more,” Prug said. “The best moment for me to come over here was for my senior year.”
His family was fully supportive, he said.
"I was thinking about it for a few months and everybody in my family said it is a good decision," Prug recalled. "It was important to have that support.”
Prug's family and Ewen have a mutual friend associated with one of the local AAU programs.
“He was interested in coming over for AAU, but it didn’t work out in time,” Ewen said, “so we stepped in, worked with him and got him here so he can help him reach his goal of playing college basketball.”
A few days before the start of Assumption’s school year last August, Prug got on an airplane for the first time in his life and flew 5,000 miles to his new home.
His father and two sisters remain in Croatia. His mother died from cancer three years ago.
“It has been a better experience than I thought,” Prug said. “It has been amazing. I was afraid when I was leaving home, I don’t want to go over here and feel like I want to go back home or I don’t like this.
“Since I came here, I’ve never had moments like that. It is the best decision I’ve made in my life so far.”
Prug, living with teammate Shawn Kopp and his family, has adapted to his new surroundings.
He has adjusted to the educational system. He has acclimated himself to a new culture. He has gone from playing a slower and more rugged game overseas to a quicker tempo here.
“You don’t know how timid or shy he will be, but from the first day he’s been here, the kids have loved him, the school has loved him and the community has embraced him,” Ewen said. “He’s got such a great personality, work ethic and has just jumped in with both feet.”
Prug watched some American movies growing up. The reality, he said, matches what he saw on screen.
“You see all these things and are like, ‘Is this real?’” he said. “When you come over here and see all these things, it is amazing. You can order something on Amazon today and you have it tomorrow.
“People live way faster than we do over there.”
Prug is fluent in English and Croatian. He can speak some Italian and a little bit of Czech. He credits Netflix and YouTube for picking up English so quickly.
“It is easier to learn a language when you’re listening to something every day,” Prug said.
Prug applied and was granted an F-1 Visa, which allows a student to temporarily live in the United States while studying. However, he was not eligible for varsity competition immediately because of transfer rules.
Despite practicing and participating in Assumption’s fall league, Prug had to sit out 90 school days and was not eligible for game competition until mid-January.
Still, he has managed to play in 15 games this season and could get three more this week in Des Moines.
“The hope is to play 18 games and win state,” Prug said.
Prug keeps in contact with his father almost daily and his sisters weekly. During winter break, Prug saw his father for several days in New Orleans, where he has some cousins living.
His father plans to watch the live stream of Tuesday’s quarterfinal game — which starts at 2:15 a.m. Wednesday in Croatia.
“It is hard, but I have a good reason for why I’m here," Prug said. "I know what my goal is and what I want to accomplish.
"It motivates me every day to work hard and enjoy this process."
Prug is undecided on where he’ll play basketball next season. Interest has ranged from small Division I programs to Division III, junior college and NAIA schools.
Ewen said he has heard from more college coaches in the past six weeks once Prug started playing games and film became available.
Prug, likely a wing or power forward in college, can play inside and out. He has knocked down 30 of 59 attempts from beyond the arc (50.8%) and converted 40 of 47 free throws (85%). He’s also a very good passer and handles the ball well.
“I definitely think he’s a Division I guy,” Ewen said. “I think he’ll need to put some muscle on and add a little bit of quickness to reach that point, but he has such a versatile skill set and a tremendous work ethic.”
Prug is in no rush to make a decision.
“The education is also important to me, so we’ll see,” he said. “I’ll wait and decide when I feel I have the best option for myself.”
Prug hasn’t decided if he’ll remain in the United States beyond college.
“I’m focusing on the little steps that are in front of me,” he said. “It is hard to see things that are that far away.
“I definitely like the United States. It is one of the best countries in the world and has so many things to offer I didn’t have in Croatia.”
First, Prug is savoring this week’s state tournament with his teammates. He has an opportunity to help Assumption claim its first state championship in 22 years.
“This is a great group of guys, not just with basketball but outside of it as well,” he said. “They’ve welcomed me as like I’m some guy from Iowa.
“It is a blessing for me to play with these guys and for these coaches.”
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!
Sports editor, with my emphasis on covering the Mississippi Athletic Conference and Iowa area high schools. I've been in sports journalism for 22 years, the last 10 at the Q-C Times.
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Rock Island's Amarion Nimmers will continue his basketball career at the University of Iowa. Read about his visit, why its a good fit, and what he wants to accomplish in Iowa City.
Dave McLaughlin always has had a desire to be a varsity head basketball coach. He just didn’t expect the opportunity to pop up at North Scott …
Assumption's Ivan Prug drives the lane in a game earlier this season. The 6-foot-8 Prug made the decision last August to leave his homeland of Croatia to attend school and play basketball in the United States.
Assumption's Ivan Prug puts up a shot against Western Dubuque during a Class 3A substate semifinal recently at Assumption High School. Prug is averaging 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game for the 19-5 Knights.
Assumption's Ivan Prug attempts a 3-point shot in a game earlier this season. Prug is shooting better than 50% from beyond the arc for the Knights.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.