Big Ten win regular season championship after adding just one player on transfer portal for 2021-22 season Ohio The Buckeyes added three this offseason. A player in that group is a Croatian graduate student with his NCAA experience at the Americans of his league, the Patriots.
Carla Vress The 6-foot-3 forward has worked hard on and off the court to become an international success. Will that success carry over to Scarlett & Gray? Next is Vreš. land grant sanctuary Player Preview Series.
name: Carla Vles
position: Forward
class: Graduate
high school: Jensen Gymnasium Sodra (Stockholm, Sweden)
2021-22 Stats: 3.5 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.3 apg, .364 FG%, .308 3FG%, 1.000 FT%
last year
In three seasons with the AU Eagles, Vreš had mixed results. Vreš is on the bench after a second career season last season when the forward averaged 8.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in seven starts and 10 appearances. That doesn’t mean she didn’t make an impact.
Bresch’s minutes per game were reduced to 11.4 hours per game, but the three-time Patriot League Honor Roll winner appeared in 21 games (starting two) in a career-best 240 minutes. On February 19, in one of Vreš’s two starts, she batted 3 at the end of regulation to send the game against Army West Point Academy into overtime.
The Eagles lost that game, but American entered the Patriot League tournament as the second seed, defeating Bucknell in the championship game. Vreš didn’t take the court in that game, but he did play in the NCAA Tournament to Michigan where he lost to the Wolverines 39–74.
what to expect
Vreš is what you would expect from a large European-based company. She can move in the paint and shoot as expected of a forward, but she poses a threat outside the arc as well. Last season, Vreš made her 3 shots in 16 of her 52 chances.
predict
The Buckeyes’ Monday exhibition blast included Vreš. The forward entered the game and at the end of the fourth quarter he played at 5:37. She didn’t hit a shot, but she added two rebounds and one assist.
Vreš joins a team that preaches speed and intensity. I have no doubt she can learn the system. When she was 15, Vres moved from Croatia to Sweden, not knowing her language, and completed her education as a valedictorian. Perhaps because her game was out of reach, Vles’ speed was no match for Rebeka Mikrasikova’s starting line-up as she battled for position in the paint. Besides, his fellow transfer Eboni Walker impressed, receiving a lion’s share at the fifth position off the bench.
Vles is expected to fall short of the minutes he played with the Americans last year, but he will actually boost the group up front. Also, like Mikrasikova, Vles can hit his shots long. That alone gave the Croats time on the court.
highlight
Against Boston College, Vreš (15) scored 12 points in 14 minutes. Watch Vreš deep his hits, turnarounds in the paint, and transition layups with the AU Eagles.
Missed the player preview? Here’s the list so far.
