Arkansas basketball signs first commitment of John Calipari reign

Arkansas basketball gets its first commitment of the John Calipari era from this former Kentucky big man…

Former Kentucky center Zvonimir Ivisic formally committed to Arkansas on Monday, so John Calipari will be joined by a familiar face next season. After accessing the transfer portal on Saturday, the 7-2, 234-pound sophomore announced his choice via a post on his personal Instagram account.

The Croatian native, who played professionally overseas for SC Derby in Podgorica, Montenegro, from 2020 to 2023, signed with Kentucky in August 2023 but did not come or enroll in classes until October.

Ivisic missed the first 16 games of the season while awaiting NCAA approval, but he was cleared just before Kentucky’s game against Georgia on January 20.

He finished the season averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, shooting 57.7 percent from the field, 37.5% from three, and 77.3 percent from the free throw line.

2023-24 (Freshman)

He became eligible on January 20, 2024, and made his Wildcats debut against Georgia. He played 15 games this season. Averaged 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Scored 57.7% from the field, 37.5% from 3-point range, and 77.3% from the charity stripe. Had four double-digit scoring efforts… Led UK in rebounding three times and blocks in seven games. Finished four games with three or more rejections… Had three points and five rebounds against Oakland… Scored seven points and blocked three shots against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament. Against Arkansas, he had a career-high nine rebounds, 12 points, and two blocks.

I played a career-high 21 minutes versus Mississippi State for the second consecutive game. Scored a team-high three blocks. Against No. 13 Alabama, I had my greatest game of the season, scoring a career-high 18 points and making seven field goals. Led the squad with a career-high four rejections in 20 minutes. In a road win against Vanderbilt, he scored 11 points in 12 minutes and led the team with seven rebounds. In his first two games, he led the club in blocked shots. During his collegiate debut against Georgia, he scored 13 points in 16 minutes. He made three 3-pointers, led the team with three blocks, and tied for the team lead with five rebounds.

High School

During the FIBA U20 European Championship, he averaged 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game for Croatia. He hit 34% from 3-point range and played about 20 minutes per game. He has played for SC Derby in Montenegro for the previous two seasons. Averaged 5.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game in the Adriatic League. Against Partizan in the European League, he had his best playoff performance, scoring 22 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking three shots.

Personal

Born on August 9 The parents are Mladenko and Marina Ivišić. Has three siblings: Nikola, Jelena, and Tomislav… Tomislav, his twin brother, has had the greatest influence on his life. Enjoys playing video games off of the court… His favorite film is Harry Potter. His favorite TV show is Game of Thrones. Off-court talent includes playing the harmonica… Listens to Lil Baby, Polo G, Lil Durk, and Drake before games. At 12, I had my first dunk. My favorite former Wildcat is DeMarcus Cousins. Drazen Petrovic is my favorite basketball player ever.