Zvonimir Ivišić
 Ivišić with Kentucky in 2024 | |
| No. 44 – Arkansas Razorbacks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center / power forward |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 9 August 2003 Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Nationality | Croatian |
| Listed height | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) |
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2023 | SC Derby |
Zvonimir Ivišić (born 9 August 2003), nicknamed "Big Z",[1] is a Croatian college basketball player for the Arkansas Razorbacks[2] of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He formerly played for the Kentucky Wildcats.
Early life
[edit]Ivišić grew up in Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina and moved to Šibenik, Croatia when he was 14 years old.[3] He played for SC Derby of the Montenegrin Basketball League and the ABA League from 2020 to 2023.[4] Ivišić declared for the NBA Draft in 2022 and 2023, but ultimately withdrew both times.[5]
College career
[edit]Ivišić committed to play college basketball in the United States for the University of Kentucky.[6] He was not declared eligible to play by the NCAA until halfway into the Wildcats' season.[7] Ivišić made his collegiate debut on January 20, 2024, against Georgia and had 13 points, five rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals in 16 minutes played during a 105–96 win.[8] He averaged 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks over 15 games played during his freshman season.[9] Ivišić announced he would be entering the NCAA transfer portal shortly after it was reported that Kentucky head coach John Calipari would be leaving the program to become the head coach at Arkansas.[10]
Ivišić transferred to play at Arkansas, following Calipari.[11]
National team career
[edit]Ivišić was named to the Croatia national under-16 basketball team and played in the 2019 FIBA U16 European Championship.[12] He also played for Croatia in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship and averaged 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game.[13]
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Kentucky | 15 | 0 | 11.7 | .577 | .375 | .773 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 5.5 |
Personal life
[edit]Zvonimir's twin brother Tomislav Ivišić was also a professional basketball player with whom he moved to Šibenik in Croatia from his hometown Vitez in Bosnia and Herzegovina when he was 14 to play for Šibenka. They both moved to Podgorica in Montenegro to play for SC Derby.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ Norlander, Matt. "'Big Z' Zvonimir Ivišić made his collegiate debut on Saturday and just verified Kentucky as a title contender". CBS Sports. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
- ^ Crawford, Eric (2024-04-15). "PORTAL TRACKER | Kentucky big man Ivisic says he'll follow Callipari to Arkansas". WDRB. Retrieved 2024-04-15.
- ^ "7-foot recruit Zvonimir Ivišić reportedly admitted to Kentucky". Courier Journal. October 4, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ "Zvonimir Ivišić NCAA eligibility: Kentucky fans fund Indy billboard". Courier Journal. January 5, 2024. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
- ^ "NBA Draft Scouting Report: Kentucky's Zvonimir Ivisic". SI.com. August 3, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ Givony, Jonathan (August 1, 2023). "Top European prospect Zvonimir Ivisic commits to Kentucky". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Zvonimir Ivišić declared eligible for No. 8 Kentucky. The 7-foot-2 Croatian makes immediate impact". USA Today. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Kentucky basketball: Freshman center Zvonimir Ivišić dazzles in debut". Courier Journal. January 20, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Former Wildcat 'Big Z' Ivisic commits to Hogs". Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. April 14, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ Backus, Will (April 14, 2024). "Zvonimir Ivišić enters transfer portal: Kentucky big man exploring options after John Calipari's departure". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff (April 15, 2024). "Zvonimir Ivisic to transfer from Kentucky to Arkansas". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
- ^ Askounis, Johnny (April 13, 2022). "Croatian forward Zvonimir Ivisic declares for NBA draft". EuroHoops.net. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "UK Admissions clears basketball recruit Zvonimir Ivišić". Lexington Herald-Leader. October 4, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
- ^ "Ivišići: Cilj nam je ulazak u ABA ligu". pobjeda.me. 18 October 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2024.