Zvonimir Ivisic quickly reunites with Arkansas' John Calipari after Kentucky exit

16/04/2024 01:19

Blue Bloods have a lot of pull in terms of their facilities, reputation, and rich history. However, coaches are still the ones who run the show. Whenever they pack up to join another squad, players and coaching staff alike join them. Fans are seeing this unravel in front of their eyes at the moment. John Calipari may have left Kentucky but a lot of his mentees are headed to join him in Arkansas. Even Zvonimir Ivisic entered the transfer portal to reunite with his former head honcho.

You heard that right! Zvonimir Ivisic is set to be one of John Calipari’s students once again at Arkansas, per Grant Grubbs of On 3 Sports. The seven-foot-two behemoth left Kentucky such that he could run the same schemes and be under the same system that made him thrive.

Zvonimir Ivisic contributed big minutes to Kentucky and is likely to have a bigger role in Arkansas. He knocked down 57.7% of his shots from all three levels of scoring for an average of 5.5 points a night. He also has an insane acumen in using his height advantage. This got him 3.3 rebounds along with an impressive 1.3 blocks per game in just 15 games for Kentucky.

He is not just a traditional big man too. John Calipari has formed him to an NBA-caliber talent and it shows with his outside stroke. Ivisic sinks 37.5% of his shots from the three-point area which makes him a threat wherever he is on the court.

This transfer portal move is not the only byproduct of Calipari’s move to Kentucky. Big names in his coaching staff will also make a move to join him. Bruiser Flint, Chin Coleman, Orlando Antigua, and Chuck Martin are also headed to the Razorbacks.

Arkansas gets a full-time star

Ivisic had a lot of issues before getting to play for Kentucky. His eligibility was in question by the NCAA and the person who helped him the most was Coach Cal. The new Razorbacks’ head honcho even went as far as calling out the athletic association for not letting the Croatian play.

"It's not fair. For him to go through what he did to get into school for two months, what he's doing academically, and how he is as a teammate. Every day he walks in

, he says, 'Hey, Coach Cal!' Yesterday, or two days ago, I said to him, you know, I just want you to know I feel bad because I don't like how you were treated from the beginning to now,” he declared.

Coach Cal saw great potential in Ivisic even when he was still just a Kentucky recruit. With the big man’s developed skill sets and rapidly improving shot selection, he might just be the next star in the Arkansas system.

“He just turned 20. He was a 19-year-old, 20, playing amateur basketball over there. They can make it however they want to make it. 'But, well, what about this? What about that?' I get it. I get it. But, you know, he's a great kid that deserves it,” Calipari declared.

Will we see Ivisic finally shine and be one of the better prospects in the next NBA Draft?

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