What will ‘Big Z’ mean to Kentucky basketball? Calipari, UK vets offer early impressions.

The Big Z sensation that has been sweeping Big Blue Nation over the past couple of months was not lost on John Calipari.

At the time of his Aug. 1 commitment, Zvonimir Ivisic was a player of intrigue, sure. A 7-foot-2 center from Croatia. That’s enough to pique the interest of any basketball fan. And those fans who hit up YouTube to learn more about “Big Z” — as Calipari has dubbed him — found plenty to occupy them. Longer looks at full-game tapes show inconsistencies galore, but in a small sample size, the sight of a 7-2 guy bombing threes and blocking shots is enough to raise eyebrows.

Over the course of August, and then September, and then October — as his admissions process to the university hit some snags and fans got angry — the legend of Ivisic grew from possible complementary roster piece to something else entirely.

“Well, because it took so long to get him here, every week that went by, he got better and better and bigger, bigger impact,” Calipari said at SEC media day Wednesday, trying his best to temper expectations while also acknowledging what these past few weeks have been like. “‘Oh, my gosh, he’s King Kong.’ All of a sudden each week that went by, he got better and better.

“He’s a piece to the puzzle for us. He’s 7-2, pretty skilled. He’s just going to start contact in tonight’s practice. So if you think he’s ready to walk in, dominate a game, you’re not thinking right. He’s not. But, great kid. Smart.”

As Calipari said, Ivisic hadn’t even gone through a full practice with the Wildcats at the time UK’s traveling party hit the SEC media day podium. The newcomer has “a good feel,” Calipari noted, but, past that, it’s hard to say just how much impact he’ll have during the 2023-24 season. Or exactly how (and how quickly) his skill set will translate to the college game.

Ivisic will still need to be cleared for competition before he can actually play for the Wildcats this season. Calipari said Wednesday that all the academic boxes have been checked, though he’ll need to complete the process with the NCAA to be ruled an amateur. That process is ongoing, and Calipari is expecting no issues there. “I think he’ll be in good shape,” he said. The UK coach said last week that Ivisic would make his on-court debut Saturday at the Blue-White Game at Northern Kentucky University.

Expectations should be tempered, but count Ivisic’s new teammates among those intrigued.

Transfer forward Tre Mitchell — a 6-9, 231-pounder who is likely to play minutes at the “5” spot while Ivisic gets up to speed and fellow 7-footers Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso work their way back from injury — has been impressed by looks alone.

“Z brings another level of versatility,” Mitchell said. “He’s a big dude, but he’s unbelievably versatile at the same time. … I haven’t seen a ridiculous amount of him on the court, in person, but — as a player — you can tell. You can tell what people are capable of doing. And what people naturally have a feel for. And you can just tell he’s a player.”

Fellow fifth-year college player Antonio Reeves was also a little taken aback by his initial glimpse of Ivisic on the court. Reeves said he watched Ivisic move — “like a guard,” he explained — and noticed his shooting and dribbling ability. He’s kept tabs on his workouts over the past few days and marveled that it seemed like he got better on each viewing.

“It’s kind of crazy to me how much he’s grown in the time he’s been here,” Reeves said. “It’s just wild.”

With Bradshaw and Onyenso out — and no clear timetable for their return — it sure looks like Kentucky will go with a little different look than years past. At the beginning of the season, at least. That’ll mean Mitchell and Ivisic at the “5” — versatile lineups that could lead to some five-out sets and up-and-down play.

“It’s gonna be very fun doing that,” Reeves said. “With Tre and Z, it’s just like the same thing to me. They both can dribble, shoot, pass. And, of course, they’re going to work on their post game, as well. But it’s a level of, ‘Ah, I can pass to Z, run off Z, then Z can pop/shoot.’ It’s things like that that are just going to make the game really fun.”

Asked if it was “jarring” to see a 7-2 guy with the shooting, passing and dribbling skills that Ivisic possesses, Mitchell grinned.

“At this stage in the basketball world, no. Not at all,” he said. “It’s becoming more and more common. And I feel like, eventually, that’s where things are going to transition to: a bunch of huge dudes that can do absolutely anything you need them to do.”

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are similarly sized and unbelievably skilled rookies ready to unleash such a style on the NBA this season. The league has already has guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo bring a new approach to the pros in recent years.

This new direction of basketball, in general — combined with many fans’ hope for a new playing style at Kentucky, in particular — only elevates the expectations around someone like Ivisic.

For a player who’s been in Lexington for just a week and was set to go through his first full college practice a mere 19 days before his team’s season opener, it all seems like more than a bit much. Aligning those expectations with reality — and tuning out the rest — will be key.

What will Big Z bring to Kentucky basketball? Everyone will find out together. Including the player himself.

“Fans are always going to have their expectations, regardless of who it is, what it is, where they come from,” Mitchell said. “They’re going to have their expectations. At the end of the day, we’re players and we’re human. We hold ourselves to a certain expectation. That doesn’t mean that it’s the same expectation other people have for us. If you ask me, a lot of us probably have higher expectations than what most people think.

“So, I mean, it’s not a matter of him living up to the expectations or worrying about it. That’s another part of me being a leader that I’m going to have to get into his ear about: not to really overthink things. Just play the game the way that it comes to him. And I think all the expectations will be met.”

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