With the addition of Croatian forward Ivan Tolic, men’s basketball head coach Bill Carmody has filled out his roster for the 2002-2003 season.

The 6-foot-9 Tolic is a native of Split, which also produced Northwestern’s Vedran Vukusic and Davor Duvancic. Tolic visited NU in the spring but was not able to formally join the Wildcats until he enrolled in classes this fall.

“He was good under the basket, a good short-range shooter, a good passer,” Vukusic told The Daily in the spring. “I think he could play here.”

Tolic will take Drew Long’s spot in the lineup. Long was forced to leave the team when doctors unexpectedly found several tears on the outside of the cartilage on his hip when he went in for surgery April 4.

“We’re happy to have Ivan in Evanston for the upcoming season,” Carmody said in a statement. “He is a big guy who will give us some added depth in the frontcourt. He is a good defender in the post, especially, and I think he will be able to help take the load off Aaron Jennings in there.”

Tolic will be the sixth member of the Cats with international ties. In addition to the three Croatians, Thomas Soltau is from Denmark, T.J. Parker is a French national and Mohamed Hachad is originally from Morocco.