Kentucky
Kentucky freshman center Zvonimir Ivišić cleared to play by NCAA
LEXINGTON — The NCAA on Saturday paved the way for Zvonimir Ivišić to take the floor for Kentucky this season.
The NCAA ruled Ivišić, a 7-foot-2 Croatian who played in professional leagues overseas the last few years, still retained his amateur status, meaning he can immediately suit up for the Wildcats. And that debut could come as soon as Saturday’s SEC game versus Georgia at Rupp Arena.
Ivišić announced the news Saturday afternoon on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Hey BBN, guess what? I’m free,” Ivišić said in a video attached to his post. “See y’all tonight at the game. I thank you all for the support.”
Minutes after Ivišić’s post, Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart also posted on X, thanking the university, his department and the NCAA “for working through” the eligibility questions.
Ivišić committed to UK on Aug. 1, becoming the eighth (and final) member of the team’s 2023 recruiting class, which ranked No. 1 nationally according to the 247Sports Composite.
“I got the offer for scholarship by Coach Calipari to attend the University of Kentucky,” Ivišić said in an Instagram Stories post. “I’m excited to tell that I accepted the scholarship and I will play there next season. Go Big Blue!!”
Kentucky coach John Calipari officially announced Ivišić’s signing later that month. Calipari invoked a nickname — “Big Z” — that’s now become the coach’s go-to moniker for his newest player.
“Big Z is a dynamic and modern big who has guard-like skills but can make a major impact around the rim,” Calipari said in a statement. “Defensively, he is an elite shot blocker who moves well for being 7-foot-2 and can impact the game from the outside-in because of his ability to make 3s. As excited as he is to play for us, I’m just as excited to have the opportunity to coach him.
“We can’t wait to get him to campus to get integrated with our team and our culture.”
It took more than two months to finally get Ivišić to campus, however, as the university took its time sorting through his application. He finally was admitted to the university Oct. 4 and arrived in Lexington the next day.
While he didn’t participate in any public preseason event — the Blue-White scrimmage in Highland Heights and exhibitions versus Georgetown College and Kentucky State, respectively — and has sat out all 16 regular-season games so far, Ivišić has practiced with the team since enrolling, though he’s dealt with multiple illnesses. First, food poisoning kept him from attending the exhibition against Kentucky State. Then he missed UK’s record-setting win over Marshall, battling a 104-degree fever, according to Calipari.
What Zvonimir Ivišić addition means for 2023-24 Kentucky basketball roster
First and foremost, Ivišić boosts the Wildcats in an area that now is a strength — but lacked this summer (pick your favorite alliterative descriptor): A bonafide big man. A colossal center. A towering talent in the paint.
Because of Ivišić’s late arrival, and injuries to fellow 7-footers Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso, the Wildcats played senior forward Tre Mitchell (all 6-9 of him) out of position as an undersized 5 since their successful summer in Toronto, where they romped to a 4-0 record and a gold medal at the GLOBL JAM tournament.
Though UK has had no problem simply outscoring its opponents this season — it is leading Division I in points per game (90.8 per outing) entering Saturday — the Wildcats routinely have struggled on the boards facing foes with taller players on the floor.
Ivišić, obviously, will help in that area. He’ll also give Kentucky — despite his height seemingly implying the opposite — another perimeter threat offensively. Ivišić knocked down 43 3-pointers playing for SC Derby in the ABA League — the top league of teams from the former Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia) — the past two seasons.
But where he’ll be an even bigger help — meant literally and figuratively here — is on defense.
The Wildcats have allowed 77 points (or more) in all four conference games they’ve played. At 76.1 points permitted per outing, it far outpaces the previous-worst average by a Calipari-coached squad: the 2016-17 Wildcats gave up 71.5 points a game.
When Bradshaw and Onyenso were still working working their way back from foot ailments that sidelined them to begin the season, opponents got to the basket nearly at will with no rim protector dissuading them from venturing forward. Onyenso has combined to tally nine blocks over the past two games, however, while Bradshaw has rejected at least one shot in six of his nine appearances, tallying two (or more) on two occasions.
Ivišić only can help the Wildcats’ interior defense as another basket deterrant.
While Ivišić is far from a finished product defensively, he’s shown he knows how to use his size to his advantage.
He averaged one block per game for SC Derby last season, which ranked fifth in the ABA.
Even if Ivišić has to work his way into form after missing so much time, he’ll offer the Wildcats a defensive boost from the jump. Anything he can provide beyond that, at least early on, will be a windfall.
‘I’m not changing’: Will John Calipari going all-in on freshmen pay off for UK in 2023-24?
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 10, 2026) — Growing up in Grayson County, Hollie Hagan always knew she wanted to help people. She just wasn’t sure what that looked like.
Like many students entering college, Hagan originally envisioned a career in healthcare. She planned to study nutrition and dietetics, inspired by time spent volunteering at her local food pantry. But an internship with the Grayson County Health Department during her senior year of high school introduced her to a field she hadn’t even realized existed — public health.
“I had no clue what a health department does or even what public health was,” Hagan said. “Then I got there and saw all the ways they were helping people, both directly and indirectly. I thought, ‘This is something I really want to be a part of.’”
That experience changed everything.
Alongside her coursework, she has served as a College of Public Health senator in the Student Government Association, has moderated public health panels and is participating in the Rural Public Health Scholars Program, a combination of course- and fieldwork that places students in rural communities to work on projects aimed at improving health outcomes.
But throughout those experiences, one goal has remained constant — returning to the community that helped shape her.
“I’ve realized that with public health you can make an impact on any level,” said Hagan, who is also a Lewis Honors College student. “For me, I want to be at the local level helping people.”
That desire has been evident since she first arrived at the Grayson County Health Department.
Josh Horton, public health director for the Grayson County Health Department, said Hagan quickly distinguished herself through both her work ethic and willingness to learn.
“Hollie has always been a very capable person,” he said. “You just give her instructions, and she runs with it.”
While Hagan entered her high school internship knowing she was interested in leadership, Horton watched her interests evolve as she gained firsthand experience in public health.
“When she came back to us and said, ‘I want to do something in public health,’ that was a reminder of why we’re doing what we’re doing,” Horton said. “Our goal has always been to inspire people to go into public health. We’d love for them to come back to Grayson County, but as long as they end up serving somewhere in public health, we consider it a win.”
For Hagan, public health offered something she hadn’t found elsewhere — the opportunity to create ripple effects that improve the health and well-being of entire communities.
“I think it’s important to learn about health at a community level,” she said. “You’re not just learning how to treat one person. You’re learning how to impact everyone in a community, which I think is just so amazing and unique.”
Her time at the College of Public Health has given Hagan opportunities to grow both as a student and a leader. One of those experiences came when she moderated the Big Blue Public Health Illumination Seminar Series on Summer Safety and Emergency Preparedness, bringing together public health professionals and community leaders for a discussion on issues affecting Kentucky communities.
Hosting her first public health panel was intimidating, she said, but it quickly became one of her most rewarding experiences.
“Once the conversation got going, I found myself learning just as much as everyone else in the room,” Hagan said. “We had such a great group of panelists, and it really highlighted the work happening in rural communities.”
Among those panelists was Horton, who saw Hagan confidently guide conversations around the very work she’d experienced during her internship.
“To see her take what she learned here in Grayson County and then lead a panel discussing those ideas at the university was exciting,” he said. “It’s rewarding because it reminds us why we invest in students.”
This summer, Hagan has returned to Grayson County for her fieldwork portion of the Rural Public Health Scholars Program, continuing to build experience in environmental health — an area she now hopes to pursue professionally as a registered environmental health specialist.
Long term, she sees herself building a career in rural public health.
“I like being on the go,” Hagan said. “I like being out in the community, doing site visits, talking with people and making a difference.”
For Horton, that commitment reflects something deeper than career ambition.
“It takes a certain heart to stay in rural public health,” he said. “There are opportunities to go elsewhere, but people who choose rural communities do it because they want to serve. Hollie has that same heart.”
Looking back, Hagan never expected a high school job-shadowing experience and a food pantry volunteer position would lead her to public health. Now, she hopes other students discover the field just as she did.
“If you want to have a larger impact, come to the College of Public Health,” she said. “You’ll learn how to improve the health of an entire community.”
For Hagan, that community has always been Grayson County—and she hopes one day to return home and help it thrive.
FRANKFORT, Ky. (WKYT) – The Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet has released new information regarding the release of the man convicted in the death of Logan Tipton.
Ronald Exantus, 42, will be released from the Kentucky State Reformatory on July 29. Still, before that, he may be subject to involuntary hospitalization due to his not being found guilty by reason of insanity on one count of murder and one count of burglary.
According to a letter sent on June 5 by the cabinet to Chief Circuit Court Judge Jeremy Mattox, Commonwealth’s Attorney Kelli Kearney, and Department of Public Advocacy Directing Attorney Josh Miller, the court has the opportunity to begin involuntary hospitalization proceedings against Exantus, as mentioned in the judgment against him.
READ THE LETTER BELOW
Per Kentucky law, when a defendant is found not guilty by reason of insanity, the court shall order an involuntary hospitalization; the court may also order a 10-day detention period to allow proceedings to be initiated.
The cabinet states in the letter that it does not have the authority to initiate the proceedings because Exantus was found guility but mentally on three counts of assault.
WKYT has reached out to the Woodford County Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Department of Public Advocacy to ask whether involuntary hospitalization procedures are being initiated in this case. We have yet to hear back.
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Kentucky state lawmakers held a town hall Wednesday night at the South Central Regional Library in south Louisville to hear directly from residents about concerns over hyperscale AI data centers — one of several public meetings on the issue in recent months, but the first organized by legislators themselves.
State senators and representatives convened the meeting on their own time, during the legislative off-season, ahead of January’s session.
“This is a time to bring people together, allow community to have their voice heard, and us take that information back so when it does come time for January, we have the right information in order to create policy that is going to be good for our constituents,” said Sen. Keturah Herron.
Residents, advocates, and organizers packed the library to raise concerns about energy demand, water use, noise, transparency, and whether costs would be passed to everyday utility customers.
Rep. Lisa Wellner cautioned that the legislative fight ahead would be difficult.
“The utilities lobby is very, very powerful in Frankfort…These are going to be the same powerful moneyed forces we’re going to be up against with these hyperscale data centers,” Wellner said.
Sen. Gary Clemons, a 30-year chemical industry veteran, drew a comparison between the potential impact of AI data centers and the effects of factories already bordering some Louisville neighborhoods.
“I negotiate with multi-million, billion dollar companies every day. I’m ready to go toe-to-toe with them now, if we’re ready to do it,” Clemons said.
U.S. Rep. Morgan McGarvey also attended the meeting.
“I am sick and tired and done with out-of-state corporations coming into our state, our home, our community — and using our resources, wasting and exploiting our people for their gain,” McGarvey said.
Attendee Virginia Bush, who came with a list of concerns about the city’s draft regulations, said halting data centers entirely was not realistic but that inaction was not an option.
“We know it’s not realistic to stop all of them, because people use the data in their everyday life…but they need to be regulated so that these things aren’t causing damage to the communities and to the environment,” Bush said.
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.
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