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Coro: Zdor opens new door to GCU
6/8/2020 9:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Paul Coro
Ukrainian big man schooled in U.S. to grow game
Since leaving his family in Ukraine, Dima Zdor lived on his own while playing for a club in Lithuania, moved to U.S. high schools in Virginia, Florida and Maryland and began his college career in Utah before coming to Grand Canyon this summer.
All those travels make for a seasoned player but Zdor is only turning 20 this month with a possible redshirt year and two seasons still ahead for him with the Lopes.
The 6-foot-10 power forward/center's transfer move to GCU does not faze Zdor, who has been on the move since leaving home at age 13 for Lithuania and the pursuit of a basketball future. When his team won an age-group national title, he won best defender on the team and earned a junior national team spot.
Zdor's future and willingness to travel to pursue his pro basketball goals were set.
"I realized I could really impact my team on offense and defense," Zdor said. "And then once I grew from 6-5 to 6-10, I thought, 'I have all the tools. I have the passion for the game. I can make something from this. I definitely have to go to the States and make the best version of myself.' "
He played junior varsity at his first stop in Virginia while he adjusted to an intense increase in talent level. His next to Florida netted a state championship but the private school dropped basketball and he landed at Saint James in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he won a state title again.
GCU head coach Bryce Drew and assistant coach Casey Shaw recruited him then when they were on the Vanderbilt staff but did not have a scholarship available for him. Now that Zdor finished last season at Weber State averaging 3.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over the final 14 games, they reconnected with him after Zdor entered the NCAA transfer portal.
"We feel like he's just scratching the surface with the things he can do," Drew said. "This year, sitting out is really going to help change his game for the remaining two years for us. He got a rebound every three minutes and was one of the better shot-blockers in their conference.
"We feel like he has tremendous upside. After a year in the weight room with our strength coach and a year training with our player development coaches, we feel like he's really going to take a big jump when he's ready to put the uniform on."
Zdor had two previous impressions of Phoenix: how good the weather was when his team flew to Phoenix before a bus trip to Northern Arizona and all the positive feedback he received on the city from his mentor, former Phoenix Suns center and fellow Ukrainian Alex Len.
His good feelings only grew stronger upon moving onto campus, where the summer heat is preferable to snowy winters at home or in Utah. He even has in-team support for his engineering major, also the major of teammates Gabe McGlothan and Asbjørn Midtgaard.
"It's absolutely amazing," Zdor said. "Right now, I feel like this place looks like a resort club. You have school. You have the gym. You have good food. Everyone who I've met is super nice. The people here at GCU are so welcoming and they help and interact with you. I can't wait to start when everyone gets here. It'll be so much fun. With a new team and a new coaching staff, I think we'll make a big difference."
All those travels make for a seasoned player but Zdor is only turning 20 this month with a possible redshirt year and two seasons still ahead for him with the Lopes.
The 6-foot-10 power forward/center's transfer move to GCU does not faze Zdor, who has been on the move since leaving home at age 13 for Lithuania and the pursuit of a basketball future. When his team won an age-group national title, he won best defender on the team and earned a junior national team spot.Zdor's future and willingness to travel to pursue his pro basketball goals were set.
"I realized I could really impact my team on offense and defense," Zdor said. "And then once I grew from 6-5 to 6-10, I thought, 'I have all the tools. I have the passion for the game. I can make something from this. I definitely have to go to the States and make the best version of myself.' "
He played junior varsity at his first stop in Virginia while he adjusted to an intense increase in talent level. His next to Florida netted a state championship but the private school dropped basketball and he landed at Saint James in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he won a state title again.
GCU head coach Bryce Drew and assistant coach Casey Shaw recruited him then when they were on the Vanderbilt staff but did not have a scholarship available for him. Now that Zdor finished last season at Weber State averaging 3.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over the final 14 games, they reconnected with him after Zdor entered the NCAA transfer portal.
"We feel like he's just scratching the surface with the things he can do," Drew said. "This year, sitting out is really going to help change his game for the remaining two years for us. He got a rebound every three minutes and was one of the better shot-blockers in their conference.
"We feel like he has tremendous upside. After a year in the weight room with our strength coach and a year training with our player development coaches, we feel like he's really going to take a big jump when he's ready to put the uniform on."
Zdor had two previous impressions of Phoenix: how good the weather was when his team flew to Phoenix before a bus trip to Northern Arizona and all the positive feedback he received on the city from his mentor, former Phoenix Suns center and fellow Ukrainian Alex Len.
His good feelings only grew stronger upon moving onto campus, where the summer heat is preferable to snowy winters at home or in Utah. He even has in-team support for his engineering major, also the major of teammates Gabe McGlothan and Asbjørn Midtgaard.
"It's absolutely amazing," Zdor said. "Right now, I feel like this place looks like a resort club. You have school. You have the gym. You have good food. Everyone who I've met is super nice. The people here at GCU are so welcoming and they help and interact with you. I can't wait to start when everyone gets here. It'll be so much fun. With a new team and a new coaching staff, I think we'll make a big difference."
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