Miami may have another overseas piece ready to make noise in Coral Gables.
Russian center Egor Ryzhov signed with the Hurricanes on Wednesday, July 1, and he arrives with something Miami has clearly valued under coach Jai Lucas: real international experience. Last season, Lucas added Salih Altuntas, Noam Dovrat and Timotej Malovec from overseas before all three moved on through the transfer portal. This time, the program is betting on Ryzhov, a 21-year-old big man who already spent a season in pro basketball with BC Enisey in the VTB United League.
That background matters. Ryzhov put up 11.7 points on 55.5 percent shooting and 5.9 rebounds across 41 games, production that suggests he won’t need a long runway to understand how to play against grown men. For Miami, he brings a different kind of interior option than the backup center role has usually offered.
At 6-11 and 220 pounds, Ryzhov is described as more mobile and versatile than Altuntas. He can run the floor, serve as a lob target, and fit into pick-and-roll action.
He also attacks the boards with purpose, on both ends. Ryzhov had four games with double-digit rebounds, and all four ended as double-doubles.
With the ball in his hands, his game lives in the paint. He has a floater and a midrange touch, but when he drives, he tends to use a spin move to carve out space and finish.
He’s not the kind of center who stretches the floor, either. Ryzhov shot 30 percent from three in the VTB United League and made just three of 10 attempts, so it’s unlikely Miami will ask him to live out there.
Defensively, though, he looks like a natural fit for what Lucas wants. Ryzhov has the size to protect the rim and the footwork to step out toward the perimeter when needed. He doesn’t get blown by often, but the adjustment to NCAA Division I will still demand discipline.
The Hurricanes project him as the backup to SEC shot-blocking transfer Somto Cyril, which should help Lucas avoid leaning so heavily on his starters. Last season, that workload was compared to a Tom Thibodeau with the New York Knicks type of situation.
The one issue Ryzhov will have to keep under control is fouls. He picked up at least three personals in 14 of his 41 games with BC Enisey.
Even so, Miami may have landed a hidden gem from outside the United States of America.
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