Had Zvonimir Ivisic's first two college basketball games been reversed, nobody would have been surprised. The 7-foot-2 Kentucky freshman from Croatia took the sport by storm on Saturday, putting forth one of the more remarkable debuts we've witnessed all season.
After sitting out the first 16 games, Ivisic was suddenly cleared to play against Georgia five hours before tipoff.
His first five minutes in the first half were something out of a movie: 11 points, 3-for-3 from 3, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Kentucky was +22 with him on the floor. Ivisic ultimately finished with 13 points, five boards, two assists, three blocks and two steals in 16 minutes off the bench.
His follow-up performance against South Carolina on Tuesday was not nearly as impactful -- though the same could be said for most of Kentucky's roster in the 79-62 loss to the Gamecocks. Ivisic finished with three points on 1-for-3 shooting, grabbing a pair of rebounds and blocking two shots.
So what should we expect from Kentucky's new arrival? Is he closer to the Kristaps Porzingis clone we saw Saturday, or the freshman we saw Tuesday who might take time to adapt to the college game?
Most likely, he's something in between. Just to be sure, we reached out to NBA scouts and SEC coaches for their early thoughts.
First impressions: 'He's really gifted offensively'
College basketball fans weren't the only ones eager to see what Ivisic was going to bring to the table on Saturday. Other SEC coaches found out the news when Kentucky announced it, at the same time as the general public. And, outside of the occasional Synergy viewing or YouTube clip, most of them had never watched Ivisic.
So, unsurprisingly, the first impressions were positive.
"For us, the size stuck out," one SEC coach said. "His length, and he's so tremendously skilled. You watch him in that game, he not only buries the shots, he looks really, really good. He affects the game as a rim protector, he makes that behind-the-back pass, he was even leading the break. You could tell his skill level was really high."
"He can really shoot it," another said. "Just from one game, you can tell he has a high basketball IQ. That behind-the-back pass tells you that. He's really gifted offensively. Passing, shooting. He can block shots. As a guard, you're not going to be able to go in there and lay it up on him."
Ivisic obviously is not going to shoot 75% from 3-point range all season, but the way he approached those outside jumpers was enough to convince opponents he's certainly capable from behind the arc.
"He shot it with confidence," one coach said. "On one, he pulled up on the break and shot it from 3. Can he be a guy at 35%+? And keep the floor spaced for Kentucky?"
The Georgia game was a better matchup for Ivisic than South Carolina. Not only did the Bulldogs have just a few hours to prepare for the freshman, they generally struggle on the interior and don't have a ton of size coming off the bench.
"It was kind of the right team, the right opponent, if that makes sense," one SEC coach said.
Ivisic has been on the radar of NBA teams for a couple of years, but the feedback hasn't been positive enough for him to keep his name in the draft. One NBA scout who watched him before Saturday put his debut into context.
"He's got some stuff to him," he said. "I don't think the shot is that good. But he's got some real tools. He's 7-2, he can move, he can transfer the ball on the perimeter, he can pass it some, he has enough fluid athleticism in the open floor and can already shoot it [well] enough. [That] night was like if everything could go right."
New Kentucky big man Zvonimir Ivisic gets fancy with a behind-the-back pass to Antonio Reeves for a 3-pointer.
Potential pluses: 'It's going to take that offense to another level'
Even after Tuesday's 4-for-13 shooting performance against South Carolina, Kentucky remains one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, ranking in the top 10 nationally at 40% from behind the arc.
And now the Wildcats are adding another bona fide perimeter shooter in Ivisic.
"He is super talented and he's only going to help their team as they move forward," an SEC coach said. "As they mix him in, it's going to take that offense -- which was already prolific -- to another level."
"He brings so much. I know [Aaron] Bradshaw can shoot it, but this dude is like a point center," one coach said. "He threw a behind-the-back pass on a short roll and it was a dime. They're one of the best shooting teams in the country and now they add a shooting 5-man."
Kentucky's plethora of guards who can attack off the dribble -- D.J. Wagner, Rob Dillingham, Reed Sheppard and Antonio Reeves -- have thrived in the up-tempo system Calipari has utilized this season. At the heart of that is spacing in the half court, allowing the guards room to maneuver. The 6-9 Tre Mitchell shooting 36.7% from 3 has helped that, and now Ivisic can do more of the same.
"Bradshaw can shoot it, but not like him. He shoots it like a 2-guard," one SEC coach said. "If you have Mitchell, almost 40% [from 3]; if you have Z; you have Reeves, 40%; you have Reed, 55% -- you've got five dudes on the floor who can shoot. The shooting is one of the biggest things to help them space the floor. If he didn't really shoot it that well, ball-screen coverage could make it difficult. Now you have to make decisions. Do you fully rotate to him, do you leave a big on Wagner?"
After being cleared to play by the NCAA and making his debut for No. 8 Kentucky, Zvonimir Ivisic reveals how much getting on the court at Rupp Arena meant to him.
"He makes them harder to prepare for," another coach added.
As for whether Saturday or Tuesday was more indicative of his potential impact in Lexington, one SEC coach who scouted both games said the skill set he showed against Georgia will ultimately be a huge asset for John Calipari.
"I think he's a good shooter. He's a very skilled guy," he said. "He had the one rebound against Georgia, where he [grabbed it and] led the break. He catches the ball on the move and makes a spin move, tries to dunk it. I don't think you can fake that, especially a guy at his size. He's going to be a 5 for Kentucky, but he's really more of a 7-foot-2 4-man, both offensively and defensively.
"How do they use his length, his shot-blocking defensively, to their advantage? They can go really big or they can go smaller and just play him. From an offensive standpoint, OK, you want to keep Wagner and Dillingham and [Justin] Edwards and Mitchell out of the paint? Now they can play five guys on the perimeter all the time. It could change the whole dynamic -- at times. Now, if teams try to be physical and slow them down ..."
Potential negatives: 'How many minutes is he going to get, whose minutes is he going to take?"
Before Tuesday, the biggest question opposing coaches had revolved around how Calipari would utilize his bigs moving forward, and whose minutes were most at risk. Bradshaw, a 7-1 freshman, is a former top-10 recruit who has shown flashes of his skill and offensive ability, while Ugonna Onyenso, a 7-foot sophomore, is the team's best interior defender and shot-blocker. And then there's Mitchell, who can play the 4 or the 5 and is a mainstay on the floor in Kentucky's frontcourt regardless of position.
Against Georgia, Bradshaw led the way with 21 minutes, while Ivisic saw 16 and Onyenso 15. Against South Carolina, Bradshaw again had 21 minutes, but Ivisic and Onyenso only played 10 apiece.
Zvonimir Ivisic with the massive stuff at the rim
"Whenever you add a really good player this late in the season, it's always how many minutes is he going to get, whose minutes is he going to take and how's he going to impact them stylistically?" one opposing coach said. "It's hard for Kentucky, because Onyenso was a guy that had been earning his minutes. Not overly mobile offensively, but a good shot-blocker and probably their best pick-and-roll defender. Bradshaw has been an above-average freshman, he's had his ups and downs, but he shows flashes. He has to play. So what are they going to do? If they go two bigs, it takes away what they've done best, which is Tre Mitchell as a floor-stretcher surrounded by guards."
Another SEC coach didn't seem concerned by the potential rotation issues.
"Like anywhere, someone's going to lose minutes," he said. "But game recognize game. If he's really good in practice, if he's doing what he did against Georgia, the other guys know this dude is really good."
On an more individual level, Tuesday showed some of the on-court issues for Ivisic. He missed his lone 3-point attempt from the corner and rarely got involved in the offense otherwise. South Carolina did a good job limiting Kentucky's transition opportunities, so the Wildcats were forced to make plays in the half court, which didn't allow for Ivisic to utilize the mobility and skill he showed against Georgia.
A slower, more physical game is not Ivisic's strong suit right now.
"The one thing we were looking to see in the South Carolina game -- Georgia wasn't able to get real physical with him," an SEC coach said. "How does he handle a guy who can duck him in and get up into him and pressure him a little bit? He played 16 minutes of basketball going into that game, now he's going on the road. You're going to have some of the stuff he was going through [against South Carolina]."
"He's not physical. Georgia's big guy was ducking him in. Tennessee will give him trouble," one coach said. "Teams that are really physical."
Despite blocking five shots in two games, there are also some potential issues defensively, which, again, is not uncommon for players with 26 minutes of college experience under their belt.
"I think it's at minimum a question. I don't know if it's a deficiency or not. That comes from game experience and what they're trying to teach," an SEC coach said. "How does he deal with different types of guards, for example. He's going against some of the best every day, but it's different out there. How does he handle a pick-and-pop? How does he handle getting switched out onto a guy on the perimeter?
"This is his first live action," another coach added. "But is he going to be mobile enough against Alabama, Arkansas, heavy pick-and-roll teams? Can teams put him in middle pick-and-roll?"
Long-term impact: 'I think he raises their ceiling'
In what appears to be a wide open national title conversation, UConn and Purdue had clearly put themselves into the top tier of championship contenders. And before Tuesday's loss, Kentucky was close to joining them in the eyes of coaches. (After Tuesday, some are probably wondering if the Wildcats are even in the same tier as Tennessee.)
"I already think they're in that conversation, with or without [Ivisic]," one coach said after Saturday.
"I think they were close, and I think he raises their ceiling," another added.
If Ivisic lives up to the potential he showed against Georgia -- and performances like the one against South Carolina had to be expected for a freshman from Croatia who hadn't played a second of live action in his college career before last weekend -- then he gives Kentucky something of an X factor for the NCAA tournament: a 7-2 center who can block shots at one end and shoot consistently from 3.
"If they're playing Purdue, what is [Zach] Edey going to do on a pick-and-pop? Same thing with UConn. What are you going to do with him?" one SEC coach said. "Now, Ivisic has to guard them in the post. And he's not physical. But now they have three dudes. Three dudes, 15 fouls. And they're all different. I think they're one of the best teams in the country."
Much of Ivisic's evaluation is still in wait-and-see mode. He's dealt with a drawn-out admissions process, NCAA purgatory, an extended trip back home to Croatia around the holidays and is just beginning to understand the on-court pressure that comes with playing at Kentucky.
"There's such limited film on him that will get answered here in the next couple weeks," one coach said. "But he's only going to get a lot better. He's a real, real talent. He's going to be playing basketball a long, long time."
Kentucky's ultimate ceiling could be determined by how it incorporates Ivisic into the fold, and how quickly he progresses. Even opposing coaches can't answer that question.
"You add a piece, I don't care how good a piece, there's going to be an adjustment period," a coach said. "That's what they're going to be figuring out in the last 15 games heading into the NCAA tournament. They'll be better in March than they are in February, and they'll be better in February than they are now. They're only going to improve."