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Arkansas Razorbacks forward Zvonimir Ivisic (44) shoots a three-point shot during the first half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Ivisic Slowly Coming into Own with Hogs After Facing Kentucky

Originally posted on Arkansas Razorbacks on SI
By Daniel Shi | Last updated Feb 4, 2025 7:25 PM ET

Zvonimir Ivisic has had about as tumultuous of a season for Arkansas as one can imagine. At the beginning of the season, Ivisic started six of the first eight games and was playing an average of 21.9 minutes a game.

Then Ivisic rolled his ankle, then he rolled it again. Razorbacks coach John Calipari essentially replaced Ivisic's role on the team with Trevon Brazile. Ivisic saw his production plummet over the next eight games. His playing time fell to just 8.8 minutes a game. His production fell off a cliff as well. Once shooting near 50% from beyond the arc, Ivisic hit just two of his 16 threes (12 percent) across his stretch of limited action.

The Missouri game was the start of the shift back to prominence, he went from playing seven minutes the game before to 30 minutes. He also hit two threes for the first time in over six weeks, but the game that truly re-introduced himself to Arkansas fans was ironically in the same building that he first burst onto the scene with Kentucky in 2024.

Z droppin dimes pic.twitter.com/dRps1Q4Gz4
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball (@RazorbackMBB) February 2, 2025

Ivisic scored 14 points in 25 minutes and had the second-highest plus-minus on the team with +10. He made four threes, his most in a game since he hit six against Troy in November, including the coupe de grace with roughly six minutes left.

"Z is evolving," associate coach Kenny Payne said. "Z is getting better. Z can also can catch the ball in the post and if he’s at a position to where he doesn't need to dribble, he can get into a shot and at 7-2, how do you block it? It becomes just a make or miss. He just has to keep evolving as a player."

Early in the season, Ivisic would often come down the floor and stand in the corner as a spot up shooter, but his movement in the action the Arkansas ran against Kentucky gave the team a new dimension.

"His movements in those pick and pops to set screens [was good]," Payne said. "When you have a guy that’s mobile and shoots the ball like that, you can put him anywhere on the court."

Ivisic still has a long way to go on the defensive end. Kentucky's Amari Williams, who was his primary assignment in isolation was the Wildcats' best player. Williams finished with 22 points and 9-for-13 from the floor.

"There were plays that Kentucky did to isolate him in the post," Payne said. "He was close, but he wasn’t quite there to making the offensive player score over him. He gave him a little bit (of) angles to the basket. He’s got to do a better job of that. He’s learning about balance. He’s not going to be 260 pounds right away, so he has to make sure he’s playing lower, and making sure he’s not giving angles to the basket."

Arkansas will need Ivisic's interior presence to handle Texas' top two scorers. Tre Jones and former Creighton transfer Arthur Kaluma combine for 32,6 points a game.

Texas and Arkansas will tip-off from Austin, Texas 8 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.