The Wildcats' mascot played to the crowd during Kentucky basketball's Blue-White scrimmage tipped off at Northern Kentucky University on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Andrija Jelavic will be the wildcard for Mark Pope's Kentucky Wildcats

Originally posted on Kentucky Wildcats on SI
By Andrew Stefaniak | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 5:05 PM ET

Mark Pope searched far and wide to try and land players for the 2025-26 Kentucky basketball team, and one diamond in the rough he found was Croatian power forward Andrija Jelavic. The 6'11 forward has been playing in one of the best leagues in Europe, which is a big reason why Big Blue Nation believes he will be successful in college hoops.

Some believe Jelavic could be the wildcard for this Kentucky team because his upside is one of the highest on the team. Jelavic has the ability to develop into one of the best power forwards in college basketball and make himself a first-round pick.

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The part about the game of Jelavic that is so exciting to Kentucky fans is that his professional experience will help him be ready for SEC basketball. This is why the floor for the power forward seems like a serviceable big man in the SEC. That would be the worst-case scenario for Jelavic.

Jelavic is not yet on campus, but many anticipate him getting to Lexington in the coming weeks. This means he will have to quickly learn the Pope offense as the season is approaching quickly.

Once Jelavic does get to campus, he will be competing with the Alabama transfer Mo Dioubate for the starting spot at power forward. Currently, most predict Dioubate to win this job, but Jelavic does have a real shot to take down Dioubate and start for the Wildcats.

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The best part about Jelavic is that he is a freshman yet 21 years old. This means that if he sticks around a few years at Kentucky, he will be a veteran in college hoops.

Jelavic does seem to be the player that many Kentucky fans aren't talking a whole lot about, and this is likely due to the fact that he is not yet on campus. While this is true, fans need to know that the Croatian power forward is going to be a star for the Wildcats and is one of the most underrated players in college hoops.

Andrija Jelavic Skillset

Defense: Jelavic is a high-level defender who will alter a lot of shots around the rim this season

Shooting: For a 6'11 big Jelavic is an elite shooter, which will make him hard to stop in Pope's offense

Ballhandling/Passing: Jelavic is very fluid with the basketball, and in a Pope offense that relies on big men with the ball, the Croatian forward will succeed.

This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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