Arkansas forward Zvonimir Ivisic has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. Ivisic originally joined the Razorbacks after following John Calipari from Kentucky, but his time in Fayetteville lasted just one season.
During his lone year at Arkansas, Ivisic appeared in 35 games, starting 19 of them. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 19.1 minutes per game, shooting 47.3% from the field and 37.6% from three-point range. Despite getting solid playing time early in the season, his role diminished once conference play began, including a stretch where he played fewer than 10 minutes in four straight games.
Ivisic eventually regained a steady role in Arkansas’ rotation, logging around 25 minutes per game until the regular-season finale. However, his playing time dropped once again, and he saw only 26 total minutes across the Razorbacks’ three NCAA Tournament games. When asked about Ivisic’s limited minutes, John Calipari frequently pointed to concerns about his defense.
Following a Feb. 15 loss to Texas A&M, Calipari bluntly addressed the issue, emphasizing Ivisic’s struggles on the defensive end. “The reason I didn’t play Z more?” Calipari responded. “If you were watching the game, why didn’t I play him more? … He got scored on, got scored on, got scored on. He didn’t block. He doesn’t block. Then I’ve got to go with the other guy.”
Ivisic’s college career has already been filled with ups and downs, starting with his debut season at Kentucky. He missed the early part of the year due to eligibility issues with the NCAA, but when he finally took the court, he made an immediate impact. In his first game against Georgia, he impressed with 13 points, five rebounds, and three blocks, shooting 3-for-4 from three-point range. While he had other strong performances throughout the season, frequent illnesses disrupted his progress.
Now, Ivisic is searching for a fresh start to fully develop his game. His twin brother, Tomislav, also played his first college season this year as the starting center for Illinois, At 7-foot-2, Zvonimir possesses impressive mobility for his size, though he isn’t a lock for the NBA Draft just yet. According to On3 draft expert James Fletcher III, Ivisic ranks as the No. 74 NBA prospect in college basketball this season.
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