Wednesday Headlines: Kentucky - Indiana and Zvonimir Ivisic

#FreeBigZ

By TJ Barnett@teej__tweets Oct 4, 2023, 6:15am EDT

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Update: Zvonimir Ivisic has been admitted to the University of Kentucky!

While Big Z hasn’t been ruled fully eligible for next season, this was the biggest obstacle left to overcome. Despite the odds being against UK, Coach Cal and Co. found a way to get this one to the finish line.

Oh, and Brian Robinson is a Cat!

Happy Wednesday, BBN! Great news, the Kentucky vs. Indiana rivalry is BACK.

The Cats and the Hoosiers are set to revive their men’s basketball rivalry series, starting in the 2025-26 season.

The four-game series will include two matches in Lexington, one in Indianapolis, and one in Bloomington.

The scheduled games are:

Dec. 20, 2025, at Rupp Arena
Dec. 27, 2026, at Lucas Oil Stadium (Indianapolis, Indiana)
Dec. 18, 2027, at Rupp Arena
Dec. 16, 2028, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (Bloomington, Indiana)

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari expressed excitement about the return of this significant rivalry. UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart echoed the sentiment, highlighting the series’ rich history in college basketball.

The two teams haven’t faced off in a regular season game since 2011, marking the longest break in their series since a 21-year gap from 1944 to 1965.

Historically, they played 43 consecutive seasons, with the series pausing after 2011. The teams have met in various locations, including Bloomington, Lexington, Indianapolis, and Louisville.

Their most recent encounter was in the 2016 NCAA Tournament, where Indiana defeated Kentucky. Overall, UK leads the series with 32 wins to Indiana’s 25.

That’s not the only good news on the hardwood.

According to KSR, Zvonimir Ivisic is officially in the University of Kentucky student directory, which would seemingly signal he’s going to play for the men’s basketball team.

Ivisic is officially in the University of Kentucky student directory, multiple sources tell KSR, a sign that his admissions hurdles have been cleared. The 7-foot-2 standout had been awaiting clearance from the school regarding an English proficiency exam that previously withheld him from enrolling and receiving a student visa.

For a while, it appeared Big Z may not get to suit up for UK, so this would be some very welcome good news ahead of the new season. Coach Cal’s team certainly has plenty of talent, but there was concern it had enough frontcourt depth.

Big Z could certainly solve that question, so here’s to hoping this finally get’s to the finish line.