Ron Zipper started the process of playing college basketball long before LSU became a reality.
It was over a year ago when Zipper first began entertaining the idea of continuing his basketball career in the United States at the college level. A rising star in the Israeli Winner League for much of the past four years, Zipper has professional experience that is quite rare for a rising college freshman to have.
But 2024 wasn’t the right time for Zipper to make the jump to college basketball as his game wasn’t in the place he wanted it before making such a dramatic change in his basketball life.
Instead, Zipper returned to Hapoel Altshuler Shaham Beer Sheva in the Israeli Winner League, where his game took off as he averaged 11.1 points per game this past season in 19.1 minutes a contest, shooting 41.2% from the field, 38.2% from three point range and 1.4 steals per game as well.
“I think the most important thing was the mental part. I’m feeling like a grown man on and off the court. With my friends in the locker room, the American guys, I felt more open, I created very good friendships with my teammates and also on the court, my defense got better, I improved my drives, the things other than shooting. Defense, drives, going to the free throw line a lot. I had the stigma that I’m only a shooter and this year I did a lot of other things,” Zipper said.
After the success of this past season, Zipper received a call from his agent that there were several colleges in the States that were continuing to ask about him. Zipper, who had seen immense growth in his game, decided finally it was time to pursue the college basketball opportunities that were out there.
