Film Room: Zvonimir Ivisic

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film-room-zvonimir-ivisic — Photo via FIBA Basketball

It wasn’t long ago that Big Blue Nation worried about simply filling out the Kentucky Basketball roster. There were five blue-chip freshmen and a pair of sparingly used sophomores returning for year two. Both locally and nationally the offseason was being described as a failure and the program was thought to be in disarray. Luckily, the much-maligned offseason wasn’t actually over. Coach Calipari landed a pair of three-star recruits. Then, Antonio Reeves announced his return and Tre Mitchell became available. Finally, on August 1, the ‘Cats went abroad to add the final piece to the puzzle. Welcome to Lexington, Zvonimir Ivisic.

Kentucky’s final addition is a 7’2″ Croatian with impressive perimeter skill. Ivisic is popular among international scouts and looked at as a projected first round draft pick in 2024. To finish the 2022-23 season, he averaged 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in the Adriatic League playoffs. He most recently impressed at the U20 European Championships, averaging 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks in just 19.4 minutes per contest. The size and length that comes with being 7’2″ clearly translates on the defensive end of the floor, but offensively Ivisic operates as well or better on the perimeter than he does at the rim.

In terms of fit, you can’t help but think this is perfect for the Wildcats. At the GLOBL JAM, where Kentucky went 4-0 and came home with a gold medal, we saw a 5-out style that emphasized spacing and skill. That is something Ivisic is familiar with from his time playing in various European leagues. Furthermore, he possesses the skill to play the 5-spot similarly to how Tre Mitchell did during Kentucky’s trip to Canada.

What was recently thought of as a lost offseason has quickly turned into a home run. That is what happens when you actually let the offseason come to a close as opposed to waving the white flag in May and June. Coach Calipari came through and built arguably a Top 10 roster in the country. Now, it is time to go take care of business on the floor. Let’s take a deeper look into Zvonimir Ivisic and how the 7’2″ Croatian will fit into the Kentucky Wildcats roster.

Ivisic’s Fit in a 5-Out System

Zvonimir Ivisic isn’t a big, plodding 7’2″ center that you have to stick on the block. In fact, he is exactly the opposite. His combination of ball handling and shooting ability makes him a perfect candidate for major minutes at the 5-spot in Kentucky’s new offensive scheme. He can initiate offense from get action at the top of the key, drive it from the perimeter, and stretch the floor as a three-point shooting threat. Ivisic was often used in a similar fashion to how Coach Calipari used Tre Mitchell at the GLOBL JAM.

Does this look familiar? Kentucky played with so much more space offensively in Canada and a lot of that came from having skill at the center position. Now, with Zvonimir Ivisic, the ‘Cats can have skill at the “5” along with 7’2″ size. When he gets a catch on the perimeter the defense must respect him as a shooter, but he can also put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. With his length and athleticism he gets to the basket in a hurry. He has flashed the ability to keep it on the handoff and create for himself.

Watching a 7’2″ big man come off of a baseline pindown, fake the handoff, and then drive it left for a dunk isn’t something you see everyday. It is plays like this that get NBA scouts excited about the 19-year old Croatian prospect. Kentucky will be able to use Ivisic in a lot of creative ways out on the perimeter due to his skill level.

Stretching the Floor as a Shooter

Like a lot of young, European big men, Zvonimir Ivisic is very capable as a three-point shooter. He has shown catch-and-shoot ability with sound overall mechanics. The 7’2″ Croatian moves so fluidly at his size and has a smooth release as well. Aside from letting his off-hand leave the ball a little early, his shot is nearly picture perfect. Kentucky will reap the benefits offensively of having a 5-man that can help space the floor as a shooting threat.

There simply isn’t much you can do as a defender against this high of a release point. Ivisic has a quick, compact movement from his catch to his shooting pocket. At the point of release his guide hand drifts away a little too early, but the overall movement is still pure. If he can make shots like this at even a decent percentage it will open up so much for Kentucky offensively.

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Having a 7’2″ shooting threat allows you to approach the “positionless basketball” cliche. Ivisic was often used as more of a stretch 4-man while someone else acted as the 5-man. This will allow him to play alongside Aaron Bradshaw or Ugonna Onyenso when they are healthy. If those guys are rolling to the basket as lob threats and Ivisic is spotted up beyond the arc you are putting a ton of pressure on the defense.

Kentucky is building a roster with multiple guys who can dribble, pass, and shoot. The more skill you put on the floor the harder it is for the defense to cover it all. This clip shows his team inverting the offense once again with a “smaller” 5-man posting up on the block while Ivisic is allowed to operate out on the perimeter. The defender closes out a couple of steps short so the big man fires away from three. After a couple of seasons with too few playmakers and shooters this iteration of the Wildcats appears to be much more skilled on the perimeter. The addition of Zvonimir Ivisic only adds to that skill level.

Additional Rim Protection

Oscar Tshiebwe was the National Player of the Year and a two-time All-American during his time in Lexington. However, aside from elite rebounding, he was a liability on the defensive end of the floor. Zvonimir Ivisic will face a learning curve in terms of the speed and physicality of the game, but you cannot teach 7’2″ and the length that comes with it. His ability to erase shots around the rim will cover up some holes this team may face on the perimeter defensively. Between Bradshaw, Onyenso, and now Ivisic this should be a high level shot-blocking team.

This is a really high level defensive play. Ivisic gets out and hard hedges the handoff beyond the arc and then recovers to not only take away the roll but also block the shot attempt. To be able to move as fluidly as he does at 7’2″ is really impressive. He is going to have a chance to block a lot of shots at Kentucky. In less than 20 minutes per game Ivisic averaged 3.4 blocks at the U20 European Championships.

There are a lot of young big men that would end up fouling the ball handler on this play. They would either put their hands on him as he attacks, or would get into his body when trying to block the layup. However, Ivisic is able to use his length to maintain space while still blocking the attempt. It is another example of how you simply can’t teach being 7’2″.

Tall prospects with high skill level have been labeled “unicorns” in NBA circles. Plays like this make Zvonimir Ivisic a potential unicorn. Look at where his feet are when he blocks the three-point attempt. Ivisic is legitimately eight to 10 feet from the arc when he blocks the shot. Then, he takes just two dribbles to go the length of the floor and dunk it home.