Andrija Jelavic's upside hitting would make Kentucky basketball a scary team

Kentucky basketball has one of the deepest rosters in all of college basketball, but the wildcard for this team has to be the Croatian power forward Andrija Jelavic.

He is the perfect picture of what people think of when they think of a European forward, as he can shoot, dribble, and pass while still being able to score down low with great touch.

Jelavic is going to be competing with Alabama transfer Mouhamed Dioubate for the starting spot at power forward, and this will be a great battle. Dioubate has the SEC experience, but Jelavic has an elite upside that will make it hard to keep him off the floor.

Here is what Coach Mark Pope had to say about Jelavic when he signed with Kentucky, “Andrija is a really skilled, athletic, mobile, veteran player who has been playing at a high level for the last two years. He’s been mentored through the development program at Mega, which is one of the best development centers for great players in Europe. Andrija has a really unique combination of size, athleticism, and skill that will translate seamlessly into our system."

If Jelavic is able to unleash his potential at Kentucky this season, it is going to take the Wildcats to the next level. With Jelavic being the wildcard, it is hard to project how he will adjust to playing basketball in the SEC.

Kentucky is a top ten team in college basketball, but if Jelavic's upside hits, Pope could have the best team in the nation. Jelavic's skill set will make him tough to guard and help him run Pope's offense to perfection.