Adou Thiero, Zvonimir Ivisic post from Kentucky facilities following Mark Pope's introduction

As of today, Travis Perry is the only player you can comfortably pencil in for the 2024-25 season under Mark Pope. There are some BYU standouts seen as likely portal additions, but everything else is firmly up in the air among returning talent and incoming freshmen.

Pope made it clear everything is fair game when it comes to building out his roster, contacting everybody he can think of in hopes of finding the right fits. That process has already begun and will only ramp up from here.

“We are talking to all of the guys on the current team, all of those recruits and every player in the portal right now,” Pope said. “We are going to find the guys that fit here, the way we play, and the guys that will come here and understand what a gift it is to play here at the University of Kentucky.”

His expectations are clear. Who could fill some of those spots, guys who embrace what it means to be a Wildcat? He’s got several on campus right now who could be potential fits.

And they’re familiar faces for Big Blue Nation.

Immediately after Pope’s introduction and press conference in Lexington, Adou Thiero posted a picture from the Kentucky facilities on his Instagram story. Shortly after, Zvonimir Ivisic did the same, posing with Jordan Burks inside the Joe Craft Center.

And Big Z! 👀👀👀 https://t.co/3Ja44R4Der pic.twitter.com/51iccvuhOh

— KSR (@KSRonX) April 15, 2024

Ivisic has a meeting scheduled with Pope in the morning to help decide his future, deciding whether he should explore his options in the transfer portal — likely following John Calipari to Arkansas — or return for his sophomore season at Kentucky. He could decide to enter the NBA Draft, as well, but all indications suggest he’s trending toward another year in college.

Will it be in Fayetteville or Lexington? Pope will get a shot to push for the latter to open the week.

Hearing 7-foot-2 Zvonimir Ivisic, aka Big Z, will sit down with Mark Pope tomorrow morning and give him a shot at bringing the Croatian Sensation back to Kentucky.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) April 15, 2024

Pope wants to prioritize fit, and fortunately for Thiero and Ivisic, they fit any style imaginable — certainly in this new Kentucky offense.

Can the 1996 national champion reel in a few big fish to get things rolling in Lexington?