Calipari thrilled Croatian star Ivisic signing up with UK

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN Personnel WriterOct 5, 2023, 02:43 PM ET

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  • Covers college basketball
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

John Calipari stated he’s excited for Zvonimir Ivisic to sign up with Kentucky now that the Croatian star has actually cleared his eligibility difficulties and been accepted into the school, the Wildcats coach wrote on X on Thursday.Jay Blanton, a school spokesperson, validated to ESPN that Ivisic is registered at Kentucky.

“I can’t tell you how pleased I am with how this all turned out,” Calipari wrote Thursday. “The work was done by [Ivisic] and his household. For him to be persistent and keep battling was so outstanding and it showed how severely he wanted to be a part of our team! He got rid of all challenges and just would not be prevented.”

Ivisic, a 7-foot-2 center who starred for Croatia throughout the Under-20 FIBA World Championships in Greece in July, joins a Kentucky group that will chase its very first Final 4 look because 2015.

The university had actually been quiet about Ivisic, who played expert basketball in Europe, after he devoted to the program in August. His shot-blocking and size need to help a group that lost former Wooden Award winner Oscar Tshiebwe to the NBA.

“When we started hiring [Ivisic], my mind started relocating to how we can assist our university end up being a lot more prominent worldwide,” Calipari wrote. “This basketball program is a global brand name and now we can continue to open brand-new opportunities for students to come to the University of Kentucky.”

With leading potential customers D.J. Wagner and Justin Edwards, together with the return of veteran Antonio Reeves, Kentucky is anticipated to compete for the SEC title, which the program hasn’t won considering that the 2019-2020 season, following a string of rocky years under Calipari.