One player on the final John Calipari team that fans loved to watch was Zvonimir Ivisic. The Croatian center came to Kentucky and had fans excited to see what he could do, but the NCAA didn’t deem him eligible for months.

Finally, ahead of the matchup with Georgia in Rupp Arena, Ivisic was cleared, and he put up some incredible numbers. Ivisic scored 13 points on 5-7 shooting from the field and 3-4 from deep. This was combined with five rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals.

After this, Ivisic had his moments, including 18 points against Alabama, and he had Big Blue Nation excited for the future. Obviously, the 7’2 center followed Calipari to Arkansas, and after a year in Fayetteville, where he averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds, he hit the portal once again.

Ivisic followed his brother, Tomislav Ivisic, to Illinois, where he is set to play for head coach Brad Underwood. Yesterday, Ivisic told the media that he got contacts and proceeded to say, “I couldn’t see them rim for three years.”

This is a really bad look for Coach Calipari, knowing that he never thought to have his vision checked after two years with Ivisic. This should also frustrate Kentucky and Arkansas fans because it looks like Ivisic is going to have a massive season for the Fighting Illini, and he never reached his full potential in Lexington or Fayetteville.

Obviously, Ivisic still has some work to do on the defensive end of the floor, but he will be one of the better offensive bigs in college hoops. The mixture of him and his brother is going to give Illinois a solid frontcourt.

Obviously, the Wildcats are the team that sent Big Z’s brother home last season in the Round of 32, but this year, Illinois, with a lot of solid transfers, looks like a team that could surprise some folks.

Big Z played very well for the shorthanded Fighting Illini in their exhibition against Illinois State. Kentucky fans will likely be rooting for Ivisic this season now that he is out of the SEC because he was a fan favorite during his short stay in Lexington.

Illinois comes into the season ranked 17th overall, but they have a roster good enough to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten. The Ivisic brothers are going to be fun to watch this season as long as they aren’t playing the Wildcats.