After a strong freshman campaign, it appears Ivan Jurić did not reach complacency during the offseason.

The true sophomore from Zagreb, Croatia, is nearly “40 pounds heavier” from this time last year, according to his head coach Mike Rhoades.

“He’s a determined young man,” Rhoades said in his summer media availability on Tuesday. “He wants to be a really good player. He knows you got to continue to build your body as a young player at this level of college basket, and he’s doing that.

“But even on the court, he’s continuing to become more versatile and continue to work on his game. So, really been proud of his approach of this in this summer.”

Rhoades also shared that despite starting 26 games for Penn State, Jurić was able to put on ten pounds of muscle, which is a rare feat for any basketball player, let alone a 7-foot center.

“He’s done a phenomenal job in the year he’s been with us of taking care of his body, but also adding great strength to it,” Rhoades said.

Consistent physical development is part of the reason why Rhoades and his staff see Jurić as an anchor of the program going forward.

“One of the biggest reasons I came back is because of the plans for my next step. The coaches had me expecting my bigger role and the way they see this program,” Jurić said during summer media availability.

Jurić shared he’s been focused on improving his defensive presence and rebounding abilities this summer after averaging 5.3 rebounds per game and just seven total blocks across 30 appearances.

“At the beginning of last year [I] could feel at times I was getting overpowered by some of the other bigs, but as the season went on, and I just kept working and putting on more pounds and more muscle, it just became easier,” He said.

Even if it was rocky at times, getting that many games under his belt as a true freshman was crucial for Jurić as he finds himself one of the few returners in 2026 and is now responsible for congealing the roster together.

“We have a saying ‘EAT’, and that would mean enthusiasm, appreciation, toughness, and that’s really three core things we go by every day, and it’s really to try to teach the guys,” he said.

“I mean, the guys are already tough and fighters, and then just get them used to how Coach Rhoades wants us to play hard, and he always has a saying he wants to have the hardest-playing team in the gym every night.”

Jurić acknowledges that staying sharp in scrappy Big Ten games was a shortcoming in 2025, but the development of on-court chemistry, combined with multiple veteran additions, is giving him, as well as the entire program, a chance to take a jump this season.