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After the crushing Achilles injury to Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman, which lost him for the season, the St. John’s basketball program has gone back into international waters to try and replace the dynamic forward with the addition of Hungarian forward Zsombor Maronka.
Maronka comes to Queens after a stint with the Hamburg Towers, a team that plays in the Basketball Bundesliga, the top league in Germany. He averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 41.8-percent from the field and 36.8-percent from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-10, 23-year-old forward also played in 13 EuroCup contests with Hamburg, averaging 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
“Z is a knockdown shooter and terrific passer,” Rick Pitino said in a statement. “At 6-10, he brings great length to our team.”
Prior to his arrival with the German league, he was briefly teammates with Red Storm forward Ruben Prey with CB Prat in Spain. Maronka also has experience with the Hungarian National Team, helping the country to qualify for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in four games.
Zsombor Maronka is the fifth international prospect that St. John’s has added this offseason, joining British point guard Quinn Ellis, Senegalese forward Babacar Sane, Montenegro forward Djordije Jovanovic, and Serbian center Lazar Stojkovic.
Maronka is expected to provide depth off the bench for the Johnnies this season with a strong defensive prowess combining with his shooting touch from the outside.
St. John’s started its offseason workout program last week, later than most teams around the country to allow time for its international prospects to arrive on campus. Now, the Red Storm will look to get Zsombor Maronka up to speed quickly when he arrives in New York.
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This article was originally published on stormthepaint.com as St. John's basketball adds final piece to roster in wake of Donnie Freeman injury.
