Kentucky lands commitment from 7-2 Croatian big Zvonimir Ivisic

John Calipari and Kentucky have added a late addition to its 2023-24 roster. 7-foot-2 center Zvonimir Ivisic of Croatia has committed to the Wildcats for the upcoming season, he told On3.

The international big man averaged 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in the Adriatic League playoffs. He also recently competed in the U20 European Championships, where he averaged 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks in 19.4 minutes per game.

Ivisic’s highlights have went viral on social media. Words like ‘unicorn’ and phrases such as ‘cheat code’ have been used to describe his game.

7’2 Zvonimir Ivišić showcased some insane flashes at U20 this year

At 7’2 he moves insanely well… as well as hitting off the dribble 3s.

Also averaged 3.2 BPG and shot 34% from deep

First rounder in the 2024 draft to me pic.twitter.com/pf0NFzKff9

— Pistons Draft Talk (@PDTScouting) July 20, 2023

The international big man joins UK’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class, which features seven freshmen — five-star wing Justin Edwards (No. 2), five-star center Aaron Bradshaw (No. 4), five-star guard DJ Wagner Jr. (No. 7), four-star guard Robert Dillingham (No. 15), four-star guard Reed Sheppard (No. 38), three-star wing Jordan Burks (No. 174), and three-star guard Joey Hart (No. 271).

The Wildcats also brought in West Virginia transfer Tre Mitchell to bring experience to the frontcourt and retain Antonino Reeves (14.4 PPG), Adou Thiero (2.3 PPG), and Ugonna Onyenso (2.5 PPG).

Zvonimir Ivisic Scouting Report

The below scouting report is from Sports Illustrated:

Rather than being a traditional center, which would be common for a player of his size, Ivisic has the upside to space the floor with a pure outside shot. He’s not the most consistent shooter from deep, but there’s no question he has what it takes to emerge as a perimeter threat in the NBA. He needs to learn to process the game at a higher level moving forward too, as Ivisic can sometimes be turnover prone. He doesn’t need to develop into a playmaker to carve out a role at the next level, but at minimum he needs to be able to take care of the ball.

On the defensive end, Ivisic has the length to be a solid rim protector and naturally takes up a lot of space. Despite being such a large athlete, the Croatian big also athletic which assists in his ability to defend at a high level. It’s unclear whether he will be quick enough to defend modern forwards at the next level, or strong enough to adequately take on dominant centers, but the upside is certainly there. Some prospects at his age and height can be extremely skinny, but Ivisic has a solid frame.

For several years, now he’s been on NBA radars and will now make the leap. He really made a name for himself in 2019 on Croatia’s U16 Euro Championship team. Ivisic withdrew from 2022 and 2023 NBA Drafts, but continued to show improvement. Whether it’s a draft-and-stash situation or he becomes a G League project, Ivisic could really become a solid contributor if he can get stronger and more consistent from deep.