NIU redshirt sophomore Marin Maric has been a solid force for men’s basketball this season, and his play dates back to his days of playing championship FIBA basketball in the likes of Croatia and Greece.

Maric has bounced back after injuring himself in his freshman year and playing limited minutes in his second season. His extra time to get acquainted has played a large part in his progress.

Maric was born in Split, Croatia and attended La Lumiere School in LaPorte, Ind. for one season before competing for Croatia in the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championships in Prague. He averaged 6.1 points on 55.6 percent shooting and 3.6 rebounds per game for Croatia, appearing in all eight games. He drained 18 points on perfect 8-of-8 shooting against China in the final game of the tournament. Croatia finished eighth in the tournament.

Maric played in just eight games in his first season at NIU due to a broken foot he suffered before a game against Dartmouth College and would miss the remainder of the season. He was averaging 3 points and 2.5 rebounds on 66 percent shooting before the injury.

Maric played for Croatia once again in the summer of 2014, this time helping the team to fourth place in the 2014 FIBA Championships.. Maric averaged 7.1 points on 61.7 percent shooting and averaged 4.8 rebounds per game at the FIBA Europe Under-20 Championships in Greece. He poured in 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in a second round victory over Israel. It was a quick glimpse of what Maric would eventually bring to his NIU team.

Maric appeared in 26 games for the Huskies last season, including seven starts. He was able to shoot 57 percent (47-82) from the field for the season and average 4.9 points and four rebounds per game despite averaging just 14 minutes. He scored in double figures three times and ranked 14th in the MAC in offensive rebounding, averaging 1.7 per game.

He has appeared in all 21 games this season, starting in all of them. He has recorded seven double-doubles this season, including five in seven games from Dec. 19 to Jan. 12. Maric is fifth in the MAC in rebounding (8.1 rebounds/game) and is in the top 10 in field goal percentage (51 percent).

Maric is seventh in the MAC in blocked shots, second in offensive rebounds and tenth in defensive rebounds. He fights on the glass and for every loose ball, even when he may tumble to the floor. He is an energy guy that loves to get the crowd on their feet and excited, whether he is waving his arms up and down after a huge play or screaming a passionate “Let’s go.”

Each summer and season, Maric has showed continuous improvement, and there is no reason not to believe that he will continue on an upward trend. He is a steady force on this Huskie team and should continue to be a reliable force in the paint.