Big Z can’t shoot threes at Arkansas, but he can eat Razorback Nuggets

by:Nick Roush•07/30/24•

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Zvonimir Ivisic aka Big Z goes full Surrender Cobra — Zvonimir Ivisic, aka Big Z, goes full Surrender Cobra, via Dr. Michael Huang, KSR

Zvonimir Ivisic, our beloved Croatian Sensation, is in dire trouble. He deserves better and it doesn’t look like he’s going to get that at Arkansas. What he will surely find is more gastrointestinal issues.

Few players have made a significant impact in such a short amount of time at the University of Kentucky. Big Z appeared in 14 games in his only season for the Wildcats and played 15+ minutes just six times. And yet for a brief moment, Big Z held the heart of Big Blue Nation in the palm of his hand.

Following a billboard campaign by the Rupp 2 No Good podcast crew, Big Z was freed and cleared by the NCAA in mid-January. He made his debut against Georgia and the only word to describe it is “magical.”

The 7-foot-2 athlete dished out behind-the-back assists, blocked three shots, grabbed five rebounds, and seemingly could not miss. He made 5 of 7 shots to score 13 points in 16 minutes. Three of those buckets were long three-pointers. If John Calipari had it his way, those attempts never would have happened.

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John Calipari Forbids Big Z from Taking Threes

Ivisic is loyal to a fault. He became the first player to follow John Calipari to Arkansas. Coach Cal is rewarding him by placing restrictions on his game.

“I’m not letting Big Z — you ready? — shoot any threes. Big Z wants to shoot threes? Nooooo! You’re not shooting threes, so now he has to shoot twos,” Calipari said in a recent conversation with the media.

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Big Z shot better than 37% from three last season in Lexington. Surely there’s gotta be a good reason why Calipari doesn’t want a 7-foot-2 NBA prospect to use all facets of his game.

“You know why? An elbow jumper, when you miss that, it’s kind of embarrassing. A three when you’re 7’2″ and way out there, ‘Ah man, he almost made that.’ No. You’re shooting twos and that means you’re going to get in the gym and get better or you’re going to be embarrassed all the time.”

John Calipari would rather watch his big man miss long twos than threes. Checks out.

Woo Pig, Razorback Nuggets

The NCAA wasn’t the only issue Big Z had to deal with once he arrived in America. His stomach was not equipped to handle American cuisine. The fine dining in Northwest Arkansas is not helping the situation.

John Tyson of Tyson Foods made a power play to bring John Calipari to Fayetteville. They’re celebrating his arrival by creating Razorback Nuggets. No, these aren’t made from Wild Hogs, but they are shaped like the school’s logo. The processed frozen food from Tyson is hitting shelves in local Walmart stores today and there has never been a more Arkansas sentence ever typed on the internet.

This is how John Calipari is Embracing the Hog.