When Arkansas basketball assistant coach Chin Coleman sat down to watch film with Zvonimir Ivišić this week, the duo spent time examining the play of NBA star Domantas Sabonis.
Sabonis is a 6-foot-10 center who excels at everything for the Sacramento Kings. Also hailing from Europe, Sabonis operates efficiently from the high post, spraying passes to open shooters and back-door cutters while also possessing a strong scoring arsenal in the low post. Last year, he nearly averaged a triple-double with 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.
Basically, Sabonis has all of the traits that John Calipari and the Razorbacks coaching staff want to maximize out of Ivišić.
“(Ivišić’s) where the game is going right now,” Coleman said Wednesday, previewing the upcoming exhibition against TCU.
“It’s all about size and skill, or guys with size that have guard skills. He’s 7-2. He has a lot of guard skills… He’s a guy that can dribble, pass, shoot, and those are the kind of players that we want in our offense in terms of being able to be a triple threat.”
Ivišić got his Arkansas career off to a brilliant start with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in a charity exhibition against No. 1 Kansas. He got the start at center with Jonas Aidoo unavailable, and Ivišić made his case to be a starter when the regular season begins next week against Lipscomb.
Ivišić was a hub for the offense when he was on the floor against the Jayhawks. In the first half, he spent most minutes setting screens and operating with his back to the basket from the 3-point line.
Pulling Kansas big men away from the basket, Ivišić opened up driving lanes for the Arkansas guards. DJ Wagner and Boogie Fland combined for 46 points with Arkansas’ spacing playing a big role. Two of his assists came off back-door cuts, with one leading to a transition dunk and another to a Johnell Davis 3.
“When you cut, if you cut off Big Z, or if Big Z got the ball and you cut, keep your head up because he might just throw it to you,” Wagner said after the Kansas game. “Even if you don’t see it, he’s going to see it.”
Ivišić played in just 15 games during his freshman season at Kentucky. He maxed out at 21 minutes in a February win over Mississippi State and never locked down a meaningful spot in Calipari’s rotation.
But Calipari knows Ivišić’s ceiling — it’s why the head coach fought hard to get the Croatia native eligible last season and then brought him to Arkansas.
“I mean, there are times you look at him and say, ‘Geez, he’s ridiculous,’” Calipari said.
And there’s still plenty of room to grow, or maybe shrink.
The coaching staff wants Ivišić to get in better shape and play closer to the ground. Standing up straight minimizes his athleticism at the 7-foot-2 frame.
They also want Ivišić moving faster on the court. That’s something they’ve stretched when watching film of Sabonis, who fires in and out of screens and makes quick, decisive decisions in Sacramento’s offense.
The start against Kansas was encouraging, but Arkansas won’t let Ivišić settle.
“I always challenge Z. I think that Z could be better,” Coleman said. “I think his best basketball is still ahead of him.”
