Marko Gujanicic officially signs on for 2012 recruiting class

We have been talking about Marko Gujanicic for awhile now since he verbally committed to George Mason back in  late January. There is still a lot of mystery to him since most of his playing experience comes from overseas but now that he has officially signed his letter of intent we will start to learn more. Gujanicic joins Patrick Holloway in the 2012 recruiting class, which is probably now complete, otherwise I think they might have waited to release this news officially in the event that another prospect signed on. Paul Hewitt initially saw Gujanicic in Lativa when he was coaching the USA U19 team last summer and he continued to follow him when he went to Stoneridge Prep in California.

From the school's official release:

A native of Cacak, Serbia, Gujanicic most recently played at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, Calif., where he averaged nearly 17 points and more than ninerebounds and six assists per game. A 58 percent shooter including a 40 percent mark from 3-point range, Gujanicic is a versatile post player who has the ability to shoot from beyond the arc as well as put the ball on the floor. Gujanicic helped lead Stoneridge to a 25-win season this year, earning team MVP honors and a selection as one of the top five prep players on the West Coast.

His versatility will be a huge asset to the team, as he has size and can handle the ball well. The team might have a much easier time breaking presses next season with guys like him and Anali Okoloji. Also the fact that both incoming recruits have impressive three-point shooting numbers is something to get excited about.

Here is what Marko's high school coach had to say about his recruitment:

"Marko is the ultimate skill player for any level of Division I basketball," said Stoneridge coach Les Bean. "He is an excellent player and excellent teammate, can do anything and can be a size mismatch on the floor.

"He had so many options but as soon as Coach Hewitt and Coach [Roland] Houston started talking to him, the level of professionalism and selling the program really turned heads with me, Marko, and his family and friends," Bean added. "I have such a level of respect to see Coach Hewitt and Coach Houston recruiting the right way, and I think that's why Mason got the quality of player in Marko that they did."

Next year's team is going to be very different from the 2011-2012 team and there are a lot of question marks. It's difficult to project just what kind of roles Holloway and Gujanicic will have next season. Gujanicic probably have a chance to see the floor more as the team lost two key forwards and he can play at a number of different spots. If his shooting is as good as advertised I think Hewitt will definitely find a way to get him into the rotation, especially at the three or four spot.