Three years ago, Kentucky fans put up billboards near NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis. They all said the same thing: #FREEBIGZ. A 7-2 kid from Croatia had been stuck on the bench for 16 games while the NCAA reviewed his eligibility, and Big Blue Nation had had enough.
Now that kid is a fifth-year senior in Champaign, wearing No. 44, and his coach has handed him a job description most players never hear. At media day two weeks ago, Brad Underwood said Illinois needs Zvonimir Ivisic to be "America's best shot blocker."
For entry No. 7 in our Meet the Illini series, here's the story of the twin who took the long way to Illinois.
Two Brothers From the Croatian Coast
Zvonimir and Tomislav Ivisic grew up in Vodice, a small town on Croatia's Adriatic coast. Their parents are Mladen and Marina, and they have an older brother, Nikola, and an older sister, Jelena. Zvonimir is the older twin by four minutes. Ask him who influenced him most, and he names Tomislav.
Both twins played professionally for SC Derby, a Montenegrin club in the Adriatic League, before coming to America. Zvonimir also starred for Croatia at the FIBA U20 European Championship, averaging 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and an eye-popping 3.4 blocks a game. Then their paths split for two years.
The Long Way to Champaign
Zvonimir went first. He signed with John Calipari at Kentucky for the 2023-24 season, recruited there by assistant Orlando Antigua. Then came the wait. The NCAA took months to clear his eligibility. He missed the first 16 games, and that's when the billboards went up.
On January 20, 2024, the NCAA finally cleared him, the morning of a game against Georgia. Hours later he made his debut and was terrific: 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, 3-of-4 from three, and three blocks in 16 minutes. CBS Sports called it a debut that verified Kentucky as a title contender. He finished the year averaging 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks.
When Calipari left for Arkansas, Zvonimir followed him. As a sophomore in 2024-25, he averaged 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds, shot 37.6% from three, and led the Razorbacks with 66 blocks, second-most in the SEC. He also dropped a career-high 27 points on No. 3 Alabama, and Arkansas made the Sweet 16.
Meanwhile, Tomislav had come to Illinois, also recruited to the States by Antigua. Antigua was now on Underwood's staff. So in April 2025, after Arkansas' season ended, Zvonimir entered the portal and committed to Illinois. For the first time in college, the twins would be teammates.
The 2025-26 Season: A Game-Wrecker Off the Bench
Zvonimir came off the bench for most of last season, and he was a nightmare for opponents. He played all 37 games, averaging 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in only about 17 minutes a night. His 72 blocks were the third-most in a single season in Illinois history.
His block rate of 12.9% ranked fourth in the country. CBS Sports pointed out it was the best mark by an Illinois big man since KenPom started tracking the stat in 2001-02. He had a season-high 19 points against Minnesota, 11 rebounds against Missouri, and five blocks against UConn. He also landed on the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year watch list.
He did it while fouling only 1.3 times a game, which is wild for a shot blocker that active. As a Yahoo/Roundtable Sports writer put it this fall, his value comes from what happens to the game when he walks onto the floor.
A Summer Scare in Croatia
After the Final Four, the twins went home. In late summer they even took Jake Davis to Croatia to show him around. Zvonimir told the News-Gazette he wanted to show Davis their culture, their food, and their mentality.
But at some point while he was home, Zvonimir hurt his hand. In early September, Underwood told a Kiwanis Club crowd that Z had hurt his hand in Croatia and wasn't working out. Photos showed a cast. Offensive coordinator Tyler Underwood said he was supposed to be out of it within a couple of weeks.
Good news: he's back. By the end of September, practice footage showed him healthy, and at media day on October 2, Underwood confirmed he was practicing again. The coach also shared a number that tells you a lot about Big Z's summer conditioning.
"He ran a five-minute-and-22 mile."
— Brad Underwood, Illinois media dayThat's a 7-2 man. Underwood added that Ivisic is about 260 pounds now, and "he's so big, he's so fast."
What Illinois Needs From Him
Underwood's challenge to him was as big as the player himself.
"We need him to be America's best shot blocker and rim protector and roller and threat."
— Brad Underwood, October 2026The analysts agree he's capable. SI's Illinois site called him the team's X-factor and its most statistically impactful returner now that Wagler is gone. CBS Sports called him one of the most talented backup centers in the country, a guy who can be a total game-wrecker because he moves like a pro.
There are two things to clean up. The first is the three-point shot. He made 37.6% at Kentucky and Arkansas, then dipped to 28% on 28 makes last season. SI expects that to bounce back toward the mid-30s. The second is consistency and physicality. CBS noted that his length and shooting can wreck a game, but the challenge is doing it every night. Defensive rebounding is another area where SI thinks he has more in the tank.
The Bottom Line
This is Zvonimir's last college season, and the setup is perfect. He doesn't need to start. He doesn't need 15 shots. With Tomislav, Mirkovic, and Davis around him, his job is simple: protect the rim, run the floor, catch lobs, and make every driver think twice.
And with Mirkovic still working back from foot surgery, Big Z might be asked to do even more in November. The kid fans once begged the NCAA to free is now a fifth-year senior chasing a national title with his twin brother. Illinois opens exhibition play at Cincinnati this afternoon. Watch the paint.
I-L-L. 🧡Reporting compiled from FightingIllini.com, Sports Illustrated (Illinois on SI), CBS Sports, The News-Gazette, WCIA, Yahoo Sports / Roundtable Sports, Writing Illini, and The Daily Illini.