BELGRADE (Serbia) - With the Group Phase in the books, few players stand out more than Mathieu Grujicic when looking at the statistical leaders of the FIBA U18 EuroBasket.
The Ohio State commit has emerged as the tournament's top scorer - averaging 22.3 points per game - while providing Germany with equal parts of spark and consistency, as he has scored 20-plus points and grabbed 8-plus rebounds in all three of his Group Phase appearances.
Grujicic's productivity and consistency in a high-usage role has also brought a downside, as he has struggled with efficiency, leading the competition in turnovers and shooting 41.5 percent from the field and 21.7 percent from three point range.
In this player spotlight, we take a look at the Barcelona product, his impact for Germany, and what his performances in Belgrade can tell us about his projection to the next level.
Offense
Grujicic's scoring profile begins with his shooting, where he shows a remarkably bold shot selection for his age. The 18-year-old guard utilizes an array of dribble moves, such as crossovers and hesitations, along with his tremendously polished footwork, which allows him to create space quickly and confidently with stepbacks and sidesteps.
His ability to hit jumpers off the dribble, as well as the deep range he possesses as a shooter, enables Grujicic to go into ISO mode often, which has been an important weapon for Germany in terms of perimeter self-creation during the competition.
The results, however, haven't always matched the confidence, with Grujicic shooting just 5-for-23 from three-point range during the Group Phase. While the volume and versatility are generally positive indicators for his long-term shooting development, his ability to be more consistent at hitting easy catch-and-shoot looks, which he's struggled with during the tournament, will be a key to improving his efficiency at higher levels of competition.
Grujicic has shown a similarly deep bag as a slasher. He's a crafty driver who utilizes hesitations, changes of pace, and ball fakes to get defenders off balance and get to his spots in the paint. He's not particularly quick in short areas, which can limit his ability to dribble his way out of pressure, but he compensates with a combination of strength, fluidity, footwork, and poise that makes it difficult for opponents to throw him off balance or rattle him in the paint.
His physicality is one of the major factors for him as a finisher around the basket, but also his hangtime, flexibility, and touch off balance. Grujicic possesses a versatile finishing package that includes floaters, extension layups and acrobatic finishes as part of his repertoire.
Still, as much as he has thrived as a slasher during the tournament, there are limitations. He's not someone who routinely blows by defenders with elite burst, and when he finds himself in tight spaces, he lacks the shiftiness or explosive ball-handling to escape pressure, often resulting in turnovers.
Grujicic is at his best in the open court. He thrives in transition and the early offense, where he can catch the ball in stride, change speeds, and build momentum going downhill, using his long strides, footwork and body control to get to his spots around the basket.
One of the keys for him developing an effective counter against the defensive pressure that he will face at the next level of competition is to continue to develop his passing ability, of which Grujicic has shown flashes in Belgrade.
The Ohio State commit is certainly a capable passer on the move, able to recognize help defenders and find open teammates with simple kickout passes. In previous tournaments, he has also shown the ability to make more advanced reads, finding cutters and utilizing his size to pass over the top of the defense.
For someone averaging 4.7 turnovers per game in the tournament, refining his ability to anticipate traps and double teams, and make the right decisions out of those situations, should be crucial to improving his efficiency at the next level of competition.
Defense
When looking at both the stat sheet and the film, what stands out first in Grujicic's defensive profile is his prolific rebounding for his size, an area in which he brings value with his combination of strength, standing reach, physicality, and high motor. He ranks second in the tournament with 8.7 rebounds per game despite being listed at just 1.95m (6ft 5in) tall, regularly playing bigger than his size, using his frame and ability to play physical to come up with contested rebounds.
On the perimeter, however, Grujicic faces some limitations. He can struggle with navigating screens and staying in front of ball-handlers due to a lack of elite quickness and ability to change directions laterally. These limitations make it hard to project him as a primary on-ball defender in the perimeter at the next level.
Overall
Grujicic has stood out in Belgrade, not only because of his statistical production, but also thanks to his flashes of tough, multi-level shot-making.
The Ohio State commit is a tremendously skilled scorer, and it's easy to envision him making an impact early in his college career with his unique combination of size, physicality, ball-handling, footwork, and touch from multiple levels of the floor.
While there are some limitations in his physical profile — namely quickness and explosiveness — refining some aspects of his shot selection and decision making will be crucial to improve his efficiency and thrive at a high level of competition. Still, few players have looked more difficult to stop in Belgrade. If this tournament has made anything clear is that for Grujicic, the pro-level skills are undeniably there.
FIBA