7-foot Croatian recruit Zvonimir Ivišić has reportedly been admitted to Kentucky

One of Kentucky’s biggest players took an equally big step toward being able to take the court for the Wildcats for the 2023-24 college basketball season.

Zvonimir Ivišić, a 7-2 center from Croatia who committed to coach John Calipari over the summer, has been admitted to the university, an athletic department spokesperson told the Lexington Herald-Leader on Wednesday.

The news comes eight days after Kentucky held its first practice of the season.

Ivišić is listed on the team’s roster and has been assigned a jersey number (44). At 7-2, he will be not only the tallest player on the Wildcats this season, but the second-tallest player in program history, behind only 7-3 Shagari Alleyne, who played at the school from 2003-06.

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Zvonimir Ivišić recruiting background

Ivišić — or, as he’s commonly referred to, “Big Z” — did not receive a recruiting rating from either 247Sports or Rivals, which is hardly uncommon for an international prospect.

He committed to Kentucky on Aug. 1, relatively late in the recruiting calendar, and signed with the Wildcats two weeks later.

“Big Z is a dynamic and modern big who has guard-like skills but can make a major impact around the rim,” Calipari said after Ivišić signed with the program. “Defensively he is an elite shot blocker who moves well for being 7-foot-2 and can impact the game from the outside-in because of his ability to make 3s. As excited as he is to play for us, I’m just as excited to have the opportunity to coach him. We can’t wait to get him to campus to get integrated with our team and our culture.”

Ivišić averaged 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game while representing Croatia in the FIBA U20 European Championships in July. He spent the previous two seasons with SC Derby in Montenegro, where he averaged 5.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game.

“I decided to come to Kentucky because it is the best spot in the U.S. for talented basketball players,” Ivišić said after signing with Kentucky. “Coach Calipari is a Hall of Fame coach that has helped more players get to the NBA than anyone else.”

Zvonimir Ivišić eligibility status

Prior to his admittance into the school, there had been concerns about whether Ivišić would make it to Lexington.

In early September, Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio reported the university required an English equivalency exam in order for a prospective student to gain admission. While Ivišić had passed such an exam, it wasn’t one that was accepted by Kentucky. Until he passed a test that met university standards, he wouldn’t be able to earn a student visa.

In response, the university released a statement on Sept. 5.

“Unfortunately, misinformation is being perpetuated regarding the admission status of someone wishing to attend the University of Kentucky,” the statement read. “The truth is members of our university — from our athletics department to our administration and all other units — are working together efficiently and in a manner that is consistent with the institution’s admissions standards. These are often complex issues, with multiple aspects to them, and they require many people, working to do the right thing for an individual wishing to attend the university. That is what we are doing. Spreading unfounded rumors helps no one.”

Fall classes at the school began on Aug. 21, with Aug. 25 listed as the last day to add a class.

For students such as Ivišić, though, there are exceptions that would allow him to be able to enroll later than that date.

“We have historically admitted students for part-of-term courses … permitted they have met all admissibility standards to the university in conjunction with the academic college where the student has identified their plan of study,” university spokesperson Jay Blanton told the Herald-Leader in September.

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Kentucky 2023 recruiting class

Ivišić is just one member of a highly touted 2023 recruiting class for Calipari that will have a significant say in Kentucky’s fortunes in 2023-24, given how little it brings back from the previous season.

The Wildcats landed three of the top six players in 247Sports' Composite prospect rankings — guard Justin Edwards, center Aaron Bradshaw and guard D.J. Wagner — along with four-star guards Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard. Kentucky’s class was ranked No. 1 among all Division I teams by 247, its first top-ranked class since 2020.

In addition to the freshmen Calipari brought aboard, the Wildcats also added West Virginia graduate transfer Tre Mitchell, who averaged 11 points and 5.5 blocks per game last season for the Mountaineers.

Zvonimir Ivišić’s importance to Kentucky in 2023-24

Ivišić’s admittance into the university is big, both from a literal and metaphorical standpoint.

The Wildcats’ frontcourt has been mired in uncertainty the past several months. The 7-foot Bradshaw and 6-11 sophomore Ugonna Onyenso both suffered foot injuries during the offseason that required medical procedures, raising at least some doubt about whether they’d have to miss any time during the regular season as they recovered.

During Kentucky’s exhibition trip to Canada in July, the team’s primary center was 6-9 Mitchell, who is not a traditional low-post player. While some facets of his game remain raw, Ivišić has been praised for his ability to stretch the floor, shoot from beyond the arc and create mismatches.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: 7-foot recruit Zvonimir Ivišić reportedly admitted to Kentucky