MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball program received its sixth commitment on National Signing Day as Matija Žužić will join the Skyhawks for the upcoming 2024-25 season.
“I’m so happy to welcome Matija to the Skyhawk family,” UT Martin head coach Jeremy Shulman said. “Matija is one of the best shooters in the country but is also such an elite leader and has an incredible work ethic.”
The 6-7, 190-pound junior guard played under Shulman and alongside current Skyhawk signees Afan Trnka and Andrija Bukumirović at Eastern Florida State College, helping the Titans go 49-15 (25-6 in league play) during his two-year tenure in Melbourne, Fla. Žužić was a main ingredient for the Titans, who won a conference championship last season with a 27-5 overall record (14-2 in conference action) in 2023-24.
Žužić registered 531 points, 196 rebounds, 57 assists, 31 steals and 15 blocks in 50 games at EFSC, shooting an even 40 percent (116-for-290) from three-point land and 79.2 percent (57-of-72) from the charity stripe. He chalked up All-Citrus Conference first team accolades last season, averaging 12.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists while starting all 29 of his games. He paced the Titans with 80 three-pointers, connecting on those downtown attempts at a 41 percent rate (195 tries)…Scored in double figures 22 times in 2023-24, reaching at least 20 points on four different instances. His career-best scoring tally of 23 points occurred on Feb. 10 at St. Petersburg College, shooting a remarkable 7-of-11 from three-point range and 8-for-13 overall. He also splashed at least three 3-pointers in 15 games as a sophomore, including a 6-for-9 effort on the way to 21 points against Miami Dade College on Feb. 24. He managed a double-double (17 points, career-high 12 rebounds) against Daytona State College on Feb. 21 and distributed a career-high five assists with a career-best three steals (one of six multi-steal performances that season) on Dec. 9 at Northwest Florida State College.
As a freshman, Žužić tossed in 8.1 points with 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest in 21 games (10 starts), shooting 37.9 percent (36-for-95) from three-point range and 77.8 percent (21-of-27) from the free throw line. He reached double figures in the scoring column seven times in 2022-23, including a season-best 22 points (four 3-pointers, 8-of-8 from the free throw line) against Daytona State College on March 9. He sank at least four 3-pointers on five separate occasions, including a season-best 5-for-7 effort at St. Petersburg College to go along with a season-high nine rebounds on Feb. 22. He handed out a career-best five assists against Daytona State College on Feb. 18.
The Belgrade, Serbia native was a highly sought-after recruit out of high school, prepping at Electrotechnical School of Zemun.
