Tuesday Headlines: Zvonimir Ivisic and TJ Beisner (UPDATE)

#FreeBigZ

By Zac Oakes@ZacOakes Updated Sep 5, 2023, 5:31pm EDT

UPDATE

UK has released a statement that is seemingly about Zvonomir Ivisic and the push to get him approved by the admissions department.

A statement from UK spokesperson Jay Blanton:

“Unfortunately, misinformation is being perpetuated regarding the admission status of someone wishing to attend the University of Kentucky. The truth is members of our university – from our athletics department to our administration…
— University of Kentucky (@universityofky) September 5, 2023

Probably not a great sign that the school is firing back like this. Hopefully, this all gets cleared up and Ivisic lands on camps soon enough.

#FreeBigZ

I hope everyone in the BBN had a great Labor Day weekend!

As we get back to the work week, a couple of UK Basketball stories remain the focus of those in the Kentucky Wildcats sports world.

First of all, we still don’t really have any clear answers on the status of Zvonimir Ivisic, who has become known to Kentucky fans as “Big Z.”

Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones wrote a lengthy post on the topic yesterday morning. You can read that post in its entirety here.

In short, the issue lies with the admissions department at the UK and the hang-up involves an English equivalency test that Ivisic hasn’t passed, although he does speak English and reportedly has passed a similar exam.

Time is running out to get Ivisic on campus for the fall semester, as the drop/add deadline for classes at the university is today, although Jones notes there may be some flexibility there.

Ultimately, this will be a major disappointment if things can’t be worked out to get Big Z on campus and ready for the season. Hopefully, the situation will be resolved.

In other news, the UK Basketball program will see TJ Beisner, the director of player development, move on to other opportunities.

Beisner announced the move over the weekend in an Instagram post.

There were some rumors about Meisner’s departure over the summer, but they quickly died down as Beisner appeared with the basketball team at satellite camp stops across the state.

In his announcement, Beisner thanks John Calipari for the last five years.

Of course a big THANK YOU the GOAT, John Calipari. You’ve always seen the best in me and challenged me to believe in myself. What I’ve learned from you could fit into 100 books. I walked into your world five years ago wondering what to expect and worried that you might be a little crazy. All these years later, I now KNOW you’re a little crazy but you’ve become my brother for life. You, Ellen, Erin, Megan and Brad have treated our family like your own and we are grateful for every single one of you and your kindness. We might be moving, but we aren’t going away!

It isn’t yet known what Beisner’s next stop will be, but as one of the staff members who dealt with NIL for the basketball program, the search for his replacement will undoubtedly be a top priority for the basketball program.

We wish TJ and his family the best of luck in their future endeavors!

Tweet of the Day

My trusted lieutenant @tjbeisner is moving on. I couldn’t be happier for him and his family. From Martin Newton to David Scott to Eric Lindsey to Metz Camfield…they’ve all used their roles in this basketball program to move their family forward. TJ ended up being the jack of all… pic.twitter.com/3ErioLq3MX
— John Calipari (@UKCoachCalipari) September 5, 2023