RIVERDALE, N.Y. – Manhattan College head coach
Heather Vulin is thrilled to announce four new Jaspers for the 2023-2024 season, along with
Tegan Young, a 6'1" wing from Lawrence Academy, who was officially announced back in November.
Kristina Juric, a 6'2" forward from Bukovacka, Croatia, will join her sister
Petra Juric in the front court next season. Kristina will add height and athleticism to an already tall and athletic team. Juric amassed a decorated career back home in Croatia, being ŽKK Trešnjavka National Champion in 2019, high school national champion in 2020, national runner-up in 2021 and 2022, and ŽKK Zagreb junior team National Championship runner-up this year.
"We are all very excited to add Kristina to the family," said Vulin. "We didn't recruit Kristina because she is Petra's sister. We recruited her because she has massive potential. She is a versatile, dynamic forward and runs the floor like a gazelle. It will be exciting to see her play with her older sister. I think they will complement each other very well on the court, and their length and athleticism make us a tough matchup for other teams to defend."
Nitzan Amar, a 5'10" guard from Yiron, Israel, will be coming to Riverdale by way of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, where she spent two years and appeared in 58 games, drawing 23 starts. Amar averaged 4.3 points a game, including four double-figure performances last season for the Spartans, and collected 62 assists to only 35 turnovers.
Before her collegiate career, Amar played in the National League of Israel for three years for the Wingate Team, averaging 18.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. She earned Cup Finals MVP honors during the 2018-19 season and was a part of the Petah Tikva Basketball team in the Premier League of Israel. She also represented the Israeli National Team in the FIBA 3-on-3 tournament in Hungary in 2018.
"Nitzan is a high-level guard that will give us experience, scoring, and leadership," added Vulin. "Nitzan has benefited from representing her country in international play. Her court vision and decision-making will strengthen our talented guard group. We also love her ability to play all three guard spots at 5'10"."
Ymke Brouwer, a 6'0" forward from Zurich, Switzerland, will be changing from a Nittany Lion to a Jasper, coming to Riverdale from Penn State. Brouwer spent two years as a Nittany Lion and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection. Before her time in Happy Valley, she was a member of GC Zürich, a Swiss professional basketball team that plays in the Swiss Basketball League. She participated in the U16 and U18 European Championships on the Swiss National Team for three years. Brouwer averaged 16.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while playing in the 2019 U18 FIBA European Championship with the Swiss National Team. She finished fourth in scoring among all tournament competitors while leading the team to a U16 Swiss Championship and a spot in the 2020 Super Cup.
Vulin on Brouwer, "Ymke is someone we had recruited hard out of high school, and we feel like she is coming home now. Her athleticism, hustle, and work ethic are elite. She can play anywhere from the 2-3-4. We believe she will make an immediate impact on our team."
Caroline de Klauman, a 6'2" forward from Gentofte, Denmark, will join the Jasper family after one year at Winthrop. De Klauman started 21 of 23 games in her freshman year, averaging 4.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, back in 2021-2022. She scored 20 points while shooting 9-12 from the field last season against Charleston Southern. She also showed a penchant for finding the glass, hauling 13 rebounds and adding 12 points against Longwood.
Before Winthrop, de Klauman was a member of the 2018 Denmark U16 National Team, the first Danish team to stay in Division A. She was also part of the 2019 U18 National Team, which placed second at the Nordic Championships and fifth at the U18 European Championships. She also competed as a part of the 2021 U19 Sisu Basketball Danish champions.
"Caroline is also someone we were involved with out of school in Denmark. Caroline will make an immediate impact with her size, length, and physicality at the forward position," noted Vulin. Her blue-collar approach to the game offers us so many intangibles. She already knows what it means to #playGREEN."
Manhattan is coming off its second straight appearance in the MAAC Championship Game. The Jaspers finished the 2022-23 season with a 16-17 overall record and a 10-10 mark in MAAC play.
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