John Calipari reacts to Big Z finally getting admitted to UK

Big Z is finally free.

With news that Zvonimir Ivisic was finally admitted to UK, the Croatian center is now set to play the upcoming season for the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball team.

It was quite the odyssey to get Z admitted, but that’s thankfully in the past now, and John Calipari couldn’t contain his excitement.

On Thursday, Coach Cal released his first public comments since Big Z was freed, expressing not only his joy for adding the talented big man to the roster, but also opening the door for more international prospects to make their way to Lexington.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am with how this all turned out,” said Calipari on Twitter. “The work was done by Big Z and his family. For him to be persistent and keep fighting was so impressive, and it showed how badly he wanted to be a part of our team! He overcame all obstacles and just wouldn’t be deterred.

“When we started recruiting Z, my mind started moving to how we can help our University become even more prominent worldwide. This basketball program is a global brand, and now we can continue to open new avenues for students to come to the University of Kentucky. Let’s continue to pursue some of the best basketball players in the world and showcase what a great institution the University of Kentucky is!”

With this addition, Kentucky gets some much-needed frontcourt depth for the upcoming season. As of now, Tre Mitchell is the only healthy big man on the roster, while Ugonna Onyenso and Aaron Bradshaw are still recovering from injuries.

The plan is for Ivisic to arrive in Lexington in the coming days, so hopefully, we’ll get to see him in action at Big Blue Madness and in the two exhibition games.

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