Zvonimir Ivisic reveals his preference between starting, coming off bench

Arkansas Razorbacks star Zvonimir Ivisic came off the bench for the first time this season in the team’s win against Troy. It’s a position he shared after the game that he actually feels more comfortable in.

This is Ivisic’s first season with the Razorbacks. The Bosnia and Herzegovina native came to the program as a transfer from Kentucky along with new head coach John Calipari. So, there is a comfort and familiarity already between the two to build on when deciding how he rotates in and out of a game.

“Me, personally, I feel more comfortable coming off the bench,” Zvonimir Ivisic said. “I don’t know.”

Zvonimir Ivisic explained that it came down to how he grew up with his brother. When they played together, he would typically be the one who came off the bench. So, there is a lot of comfort there for him.

“You know, I grew up playing with my twin brother and he was always starting,” Ivisic said. “So, I was kind of like, ‘Okay.’ I never started in my life for first — national team, wherever I played with my brother, he was starting. You know, I kind of got used to it. So, now I got a start and had to [tip] the ball, I got a little bit nervous but it’s alright, though.”

In the win over Troy, Zvonimir Ivisic was phenomenal for the Razorbacks. He had 19 points and two rebounds in 22 minutes. That includes making six of seven shots from three-point range. However, after the game, John Calipari did admit that he was frustrated that other players weren’t able to shoot as well as Ivisic.

“Who are the guys that made the most? You four-man and your five-man…But one had six and one had two or three,” Calipari said. “I don’t have a stat sheet in front of me. So, now you have eight and that’s from your four and five. Normally, you’d have eight and that comes from your guards, your wings. Thank goodness, right? I told the fans out there, you had to watch the first half and say, ‘Oh my gosh, but we were doing everything right.’ We were moving the ball, we had it, boop, wide open miss. Everything inside out, the guy has it, miss. Another one here missed. I was ready to strangle myself, like, c’mon.”

Despite those concerns about other shooters on Arkansas, John Calipari certainly doesn’t mind getting the production from Zvonimir Ivisic moving forward.