Estonian big man Henri Veesaar commits to Arizona men’s basketball

Euro Tommy strikes again.

The Arizona Wildcats received a commitment Friday from Estonian big man Henri Veesaar, a member of the 2022 class, according to Eurohopes.

The 6-foot-10 Veesaar plays for Real Madrid U18 in Spain. Veesaar is capable of playing both the the 4 and 5 positions. Eurohopes ranks Veesaar as the No. 4 European player in the 2022 class.

Here’s how Eurohopes describes the 18-year old:

“He put his name in the European basketball radar during the 2019 Baltic Sea Basketball Cup in his hometown, where he dominated the U16 tournament, and got the call from Spanish powerhouse for the following season. Last summer, he was arguably the best big man in the FIBA U18 European Challengers, averaging 16.2 points and 11.6 rebounds, adding 2.6 assists and 3.8 blocks per game.

“Born March 28th 2004 in Tallinn, Estonia, Veesaar is a skilled big with still room for improvement. His long arms and wide shoulders make him a threat around the rim, as he can frequently finish with dunks, but he can also spread the court with a reliable 3P shot. Above average passer for his position, he loves sharing the ball from the high post, being able to feed properly his teammates with nice vision. His shot-blocking abilities is impressive, as he has great timing from weak side to rotate and help protecting the rim. He still lacks some strength overall to handle physicality, but his body will allow him to add some pounds in the early future.”

Here is an in-depth interview Veesaar discussing his growth as a basketball player.

Veesaar is Arizona’s third commitment for the 2022 class, joining center Dylan Anderson and wing Filip Borovicanin.

Veesaar continues Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd’s tradition of signing European players. Last year Lloyd reeled in Swedish wing Pelle Larsson, a Utah transfer, and French point guard Adama Bal. They joined Lithuanians Azuolas and Tautvilas Tubelis and Estonian Kerr Kriisa, who had been recruited under Sean Miller.

Arizona will have at least seven Europeans on its roster next season.