John Calipari Says Zvonimir Ivisic Still Not Cleared By NCAA, Lost 10 Pounds From Sickness

Kentucky looked impressive in their season opener, beating New Mexico State 86-46, but if there is one area of concern, it is rebounding. Looking at the box score, the Wildcats won the rebounding battle 43-33, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Just looking at the first half, Kentucky was outrebounded 22-20, including five offensive rebounds. That was a key reason why the Wildcats entered halftime with just an eight-point lead. Coming out of halftime, the rest of the team crashed the glass more aggressively as they extended the lead.

This comes down to Kentucky’s current lack of size, which will be more exposed against better opponents. That is until they get some of their big men back. John Calipari has mentioned that Aaron Bradshaw is a few weeks out from a return, but there is a player who could return even sooner, Zvonimir Ivisic. Ivisic is currently waiting to be cleared by the NCAA, but has also been offset with an episode of food poisoning since last Thursday.

“Going through the (NCAA) process with Z, but he was sick four days. This kid lost ten pounds. Are you kidding me? I mean, I’m saying, you have got buzzard luck, kid,” Calipari said after Monday’s win over New Mexico State. “Now, so, whether he would be eligible or not, I don’t know if he could play Friday. He hasn’t practiced for five, six days.”