LEXINGTON, Ky. -- The three months Zvonimir Ivisic waited to join his Kentucky teammates on the court were some of the longest days of the young Croatian basketball star's life.
What happened in his first six minutes of action with the Wildcats may have made it worth the wait.
Ivisic, a 7-foot-2 freshman center/forward wearing an iconic No. 44 Kentucky jersey, sent the Rupp Arena crowd into a frenzy by blocking the first shot that came his way, throwing a behind-the-back pass for an assist on a corner-3 by Antonio Reeves, and making the first four shots of his college career -- including three from beyond the arc -- to highlight No. 8 Kentucky's 105-96 win over Georgia on Saturday.
After the NCAA allowed his eligibility case to drag into the second semester, forcing Ivisic to miss the Wildcats' first 16 games, he was finally ruled eligible on Saturday morning. He responded with one of the most memorable debuts in UK's storied history, scoring 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field, grabbing five rebounds, blocking three shots, dishing out two assists, and recording two steals in a 16-minute thrill ride that also included a flagrant foul and a technical foul.
Asked if fans got the full "Big Z experience," Ivisic sheepishly grinned and said, "I guess you'll have to wait and see."
"It felt amazing," he added. "I was enjoying the moment with the crowd."
Kentucky head coach John Calipari suggested Ivisic's greatest impact may have been on the crowd of 20,283.
"How about our fans in this building today?" he said. "...It was ridiculous. And I know some of it was Z made a shot and everybody was standing and dancing and all of that. But so what? Have fun. Enjoy it."
Said Georgia head coach Mike White: "A few times it got about as loud as it gets in college basketball. It was incredibly loud. When a big fella (Ivisic) comes into the game, a guy who hasn’t played all year, and makes a couple of shots, those were unique moments."
Kentucky (14-3, 4-1 SEC) had one of its signature offensive performances, shooting 62% from the field, 56% from beyond the arc (14 of 25), and 77% at the free-throw line. In addition to Ivisic, the Cats got double figures from four other players: Tre Mitchell (23), Antonio Reeves (21), DJ Wagner (18), and Reed Sheppard (12).
The Cats had 96 points on the board and a 28-point lead at the under-8 media timeout before taking their foot off the pedal. The Bulldogs shaved 19 points off the lead but never threatened to get back in the game.
"Kentucky, as you asked, is as skilled of a team as we will play all year in terms of shooting and passing," White said. "Fourteen of 25 from the 3-point line is not something you are overcoming on the road.”
Georgia (13-5, 3-2 SEC) got a game-high 34 points from senior guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim and 22 from freshman guard Silas Demary Jr.
*****
In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK victory...
KEY MOMENT:
Kentucky's energy level reached new heights when Zvonimir Ivisic went to the scorer's table at the 16:00 mark of the first half. Between then and 5:35 mark, Rupp Arena experienced some of the most raucous moments in its long and storied history. A modest six-point lead grew to 17 in the blink of an eye as Big Z buried three treys and another long jumper to give the Cats control of the game.
GAME BALL:
Zvonimir Ivisic, Kentucky -- He didn't waste any time in grabbing his first game ball, and his teammates would not have it any other way. Although three Cats scored more points, Ivisic finished with a team-best +14 on the night with a stat line full of positive contributions.
BY THE NUMBERS:
3rd - Game in Kentucky Basketball history to see three different 7-footers score in the same game. (Aaron Bradshaw, Ugonna Onyenso, and Zvonimir Ivisic). Shagari Alleyne, Jared Carter, and Lukasz Obrzut scored in the same game twice in the 2005-06 season
7-2 - Zvonimir Ivisic became the tallest player in UK Basketball history to make a 3-pointer.
27 - Assists for the Wildcats, led by DJ Wagner with 10.
61 - Points scored by Georgia in the second half matched the highest against a UK defense since Feb. 7, 2007, against South Carolina.
132-28 - Kentucky's lead in the all-time series against Georgia, including a 65-5 mark in games played in Lexington.
QUOTABLE:
"I was nervous when I was on the bench before (the game) and in the locker room. But I was glad when I got in. I was cool." -- UK's Zvonimir Ivisic on getting to play his first game with the Wildcats.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action Tuesday at South Carolina. The Gamecocks (15-3, 3-2 SEC) are coming off an impressive 77-64 win on Saturday at Arkansas. Tipoff for the Cats and Gamecocks is slated for 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.
