When the Illinois Fighting Illini open up the 2025-26 season, they will an intriguing newcomer on their roster in big man Zvonimir Ivisic. Ivisic committed to Illinois after entering the transfer portal following last season, and he’s one of the more skilled centers in the Big Ten. But there was one major change that Zvonimir Ivisic made coming into this season with Illinois, and that’s his addition of contacts.
“I couldn’t see the rim for three years,” Ivisic said, as per Jeremy Werner of 247 Sports.
Considering Zvonimir Ivisic has been a solid player to this point, it’s actually remarkable that he was able to play assuming his claim about needing contacts because he couldn’t see the rim at all is true.
Ivisic was an NBA prospect before he came to the United States, declaring and withdrawing from both the 2022 and 2023 NBA Draft. He played for professional teams while in Europe as a youth, before he committed to play college basketball at Kentucky. He was not deemed eligible to play by the NCAA until a good portion of the 2023-24 season had already passed.
Ivisic had committed to play for Hall of Fame coach John Calipari and Kentucky. When Calipari abruptly left the Wildcats after 2023-24 and became the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, Ivisic hit the transfer portal and following him to Arkansas.
This upcoming season will be the first time Ivisic does not play for Calipari as he joined Illinois under Brad Underwood. He will also be joining his twin brother Tomislav who was already on the Fighting Illini roster. Ivisic was just one of a few international players that Underwood recruited this offseason.
This past season as a sophomore Ivisic appeared in 35 games for the Razorbacks, including 19 starts, at a little over 19 minutes per game. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots with splits of 47.3 percent shooting from the field, 37.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 72.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Illinois will open the 2025-26 season on Nov. 3 in a non-conference game at home against Jackson State.
