Zvonimir Ivisic provides unique skills for a 7-2 player that could pay big dividends for UK in postseason play. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky assistant coach Chin Coleman believes that every good team has an X factor who can “completely change the direction of a game” at any given moment
For Kentucky, it might be more of a Z factor with the way freshman Zvonimir Ivisic has started to play more consistently. The 7-2 Croatian had to wait two extra months to be admitted at Kentucky and then spent close to three more months waiting to be cleared by the NCAA to play.
“Z could have a huge impact beyond SEC play. SEC play is brutal and really physical. I think once we get outside of our conference (and in the NCAA Tournament) we will pay different teams with different styles and I think Z will be able to take advantage of that,” Coleman said.
The 225-pound Ivisic has been bullied at times by older, stronger SEC players but in the last two weeks has tried to play more physically and it has paid off. He had 18 points, five rebounds and four blocks against Alabama in 18 minutes. He played 21 minutes in the win at Mississippi State and had two points, four rebounds and three blocks. He came back against Arkansas with 12 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and one steal in 19 minutes.
“Z is giving them good minutes and making it more difficult take him off the floor,” UK Radio Network analyst Jack Givens said. “He needs to be more aggressive on offense. He knows if makes a play to hurt the team he might have to come out, so I understand some hesitation on his part. But if he gets 20 minutes a game he will have some big games.”
Kentucky coach John Calipari has seen his improvement but continues to stress the need to improve on defense. Against Mississippi State Calipari said he “got thrown to the floor three times” but fought and did block shots.
“The best thing is, if (Ivisic) rolls to the rim, he is big. He catches and reacts quickly. You can throw it to him and he can make the right play,” Calipari said.
Ivisic is UK’s most skilled center. He can handle the ball. He can knock down 3-pointers. He can block shots. He can make pinpoint, quick passes.
“He’s just got a good natural feel for the game,” freshman guard D.J. Wagner said. “Sometimes he might pass the ball, and you might not even know it’s coming, but you’re gonna be open.”
Wagner knows Calipari has been “preaching” to all the players to play more physical on defense but has especially preached that to Ivisic.
“We’ve got to play a little bit more physically and that’s going to help us win more games. So that’s what he’s been doing. He’s been playing more physical. He’s been following his defensive principles and it’s been showing,” Wagner said.
Ivisic knows his limitations and understood when Calipari told him if he played better defense, he would play. If not, he would not play often. Ivisic has tried to use better technique but also knows more than anything he has to “put more effort” into defense.
“Coach Cal said we can score 200 (points) but if we do not play defense we would lose anyway,” Ivisic said.
Ivisic is a perfect teammate. He understands Ugonna Onyenso or Aaron Bradshaw are playing better, they will play instead of him.
“We just cheer for each other. Doesn’t matter who’s in. Of course, we all want to play, but it is what it is,” Ivisic said. “If I don’t play, I really enjoy watching them play. There is so much talent on this team.”
Yet the wild card in postseason play could be Ivisic because of his unique skill set.
“Big Z gives them a chance in the NCAA Tournament. He has the best basketball IQ, best size and best skill of all the bigs. He could be the one to carry them,” CBS-TV analyst Clark Kellogg said after UK beat Arkansas.
“He is the unicorn,” Seth Davis, another CBS Sports voice, said. “He is the one who can separate them. He doesn’t have to be great. He just needs to be good.”
16 Responses
He is getting to where he doesn’t back down and that is very good. I also agree that when UK gets into the NCAA tournament playing teams outside the SEC will help. I think it will also help if we can get some refs that actually call a foul when players are thrown to the floor. SEC refs let things get too rough and that hurts a lot of SEC teams when they get in the tournament with refs that don’t put up with that stuff.
Z needs to get his mental state locked in and want to make a difference. It seems that he can take a step forward and then a step or two back where he doesn’t look for his shot and just wants to pass. His D has improved a little but hasn’t caught up with his offense. The three 7’s have not lived up to the hype.
You are right OldFan, there is way too much disparity from one conference to another in how the game is called and that can actually hurt teams when they play outside of their conference. I don’t know if it’s by design, but it will have a lot to say about who the 2024 champion will be. Teams that play in conferences that allow slaughterhouse play will be lucky to have anyone left on the floor if their game is called by officials that don’t allow contact of any kind at all. Conversely, teams that play in "nice" conferences will all be in the hospital before their game is over if SEC officials are calling their game.
It doesn’t matter though. Calipari, King of the OAD, will lead us to title No. 9 in April. Every other team is quaking in their Nikes at the thought of trying to play against the "Gold Standard" of college basketball. Just ask Jimmy. Like Trump, he says that all of those other tournaments were rigged and those championships were "stolen" from Kentucky! But Calipari is going to lead us back to the top of the mountain and rain fire and brimestone on all of those fake champions like UCLA, Duke, North Carolina, Connecticutt, Kansas, and the like. Even the crooked officiating that Kentucky receives every game won’t stop Calipari and his pets from bring home the bacon this year!
And BBN wonders why we are the most hated team in all of college basketball. It’s one thing to support your team, but to loudly crow that we are going to beat teams that have played better than we have most of the season is insulting to other fan bases, even if we do win, we had nothing in our resume of this season to justify such crowing. The rah rahs sure went silent when we lost to UNC Wilmington, Tennessee, Gonzaga, and Florida in Rupp Areana. Then there’s the asswhooping we took at South Carolina and the embarrassments we suffered at A&M and LSU. In fact, we haven’t done anything since the 2015 loss to Wisconsin to justify Calipari’s claim that we are the "Gold Standard" of anything. Sure, we beat Miami when Miami was supposed to be good and Alabama in Rupp. We also beat Auburn and Tennessee on their floor, but none of that means diddly squat until we win a championship again. So Jimmy, 79, FMLY, and David you go ahead and crow like the silly simpletons you are. I love Kentucky and have always bled blue, BUT I am going to save my crowing until after we have done something to crow about. At least win the SEC tournament and make it to the second weekend of the Dance. Until we do that again, we are just another team that will be remembered as an "also ran" with no cigar, but had a lot of "fans" who had big mouths!
The only gold standard anymore is the $187,500@ week that King Cal rakes in.
Wildwest get a real job and quit whining about what someone else makes.
Barry you are the Biggest Punk Idiot I’ve ever seen. You already stated that you would be Negative as long as Cal is here. You DON’T bleed Ky blue. I bet your a Puke fan. You degrade the Cats with every breath. You don’t wait for a team to win a Championship to start cheering. That’s the kind of simpleton you are. You are a Pitiful FAKE. There are so many people that live rent free in your head there is no room for brains. The Real Fans will celebrate the Cats no matter what happens. The Whiney, Crybaby, Narcissists like you will want to jump back on the wagon when the Cats Kick A$$. That’s what hypocrites like you do. When you try, The True Blue Fans will be here to remind you and your cronies how pathetic you are! RAH! RAH! RAH! GO Cal’s Cats!!!
Jimmy! Jimmy! Are you in love with me? You repeat everything I say and someone said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. It’s nice to know that I am F’ing with your head! Squeal Jimmy Jimmy SQUEAL!!!
That’s what your best FAKE friend is doing to your ole lady instead of you doing it to my head.
Amen Jimmy. Barry represents the worst of not only UK fans, but all fans in general. Everything out of his mouth is negative, not only with Cal but the players as well. At the first of the year when Sheppard starting blowing up, he said that would never last, because Reed is not the kind of players Cal likes. When Edwards went off for 28 against Bama, he said that was a one off and that it would never happen again. Edwards is blowing up and is 14-21 from 3 in that span and has been HUGE in the Cats incredible play lately. KY is playing as good as any team in the Nation and all true UK fans know and embrace that. Barry will wallow is his misery while the true UK fans will enjoy this ride. Go Cats!!!
The King of all Trolls Speaks! "but had a lot of "fans" who had big mouths!" Pot calling the kettle black! ! ! Hypocrit! Blah Blah Blah!
The Wildcats don’t particularly love playing defense. UK is 93rd in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. That’s not even close to a championship-level defense.
The worst defensive efficiency ranking for any NCAA champion since 2002 is Baylor in 2022. The Bears were 22nd in defensive efficiency. Kentucky would have to pitch a couple shutouts in the SEC tournament to get close to 22nd.
Kentucky profiles as the type of team that can beat anyone because it can hang 100 points in any game. It can also lose to any team because it doesn’t play defense. That makes it hard to buy them as a team that can win six straight games and win a title. There’s a reason teams outside of the top 25 in defensive efficiency simply don’t win national championships.
Don’t tell the rah rahs that. They are sure we are going to beat anyone regardless of what our season profile indicates.
Trolling is when someone posts or comments online to ‘bait’ people, which means deliberately provoking an argument or emotional reaction. Blah Blah Blah!
Simple. Z can score any time they play pick n roll. every time they do it’s a basket but Cal doesn’t use it and a biggie should always be available in the dunk spot lob. but they don’t use it. and Cal HAS NO OUT OF BOUNDS PLAY YET AND IT ALMOST COST THEM 2 GAMES
Go Cat’s
Z has the ability to score about any time he really wants to. IMO he spends more time than should out front being satisfied just passing. He is progressing on D inside but with his talent and IQ has room to improve. Not shocking that Cal still can’t execute out of bounds plays after all these years of fumbling. We do have a lot of quality parts to work with this year, but I still believe that Z has the ability to put us on his back and take us further than we have been in years. Does he have the "want to"?
Do you even watch the games? Cal has been criticized constantly for playing so much pick and roll. Out of bounds plays have been abundant lately and he’s often said in past press conferences that he gives them an out of bounds play and they don’t listen or execute it. This team does. At least as of late. This team focuses on everything he says in the huddles and goes out and executes. Not always, but more and more each game. Tell me a better coach in the national to do what he does with a mostly new team year after year? Tell me another coach that can get young kids that are used to being the star their entire career, to play unselfishly? Tell me another coach that puts their players future first? There’s no one I would rather see my kids play for. He can teach them defense, which has shown down the stretch, but he can’t go out on the court and make them play. I don’t know how far this team will go but I do know we can beat anyone in the country if everyone stays locked in. Regardless of how far we go, this is the most fun KY team I’ve watched in my 57 years and I will always support them and Cal win or lose. That’s what a true fan does. They don’t trash and tear down their team or coach. They support and build them up!
With you Lloyd. this team has been FUN