"I’m not letting Z shoot any threes" — Arkansas' John Calipari curbs Zvonimir Ivisic's long-range shots; focus shifts to dominating the paint

Zvonimir Ivisic is one of the few players who followed John Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas. In his freshman season with the Wildcats, Ivisic was unable to make an impact, as eligibility issues prevented him from playing till January.

In the 15 games the forward played, he averaged 5.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. With him now playing for the Razorbacks, changes are expected in his game time. However, coach Calipari has restricted him from shooting threes, focusing more on the paint.

In an interview with On3, John Calipari explained:

“I’m not letting Z shoot any threes. Big Z is 7-2. If he wants to shoot? No, no. You’re not shooting threes. So now he has to shoot twos. You know why? An elbow jumper, when you miss that, kinda embarrassing. A three, when you miss that and you’re way out there, ‘oh, man he almost made that.’ No."

"You’re shooting twos. That means you’re gonna get in the gym and get better or you’re gonna be embarrassed all the time. And you know what? He’s getting better.”

In his freshman season, Ivisic made 57.7 percent of his attempts from the floor, including 37.5 percent from the 3-point line. Since he has a decent range, Coach Calipari's reasoning behind this decision seems confusing.

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John Calipari shares his game plan for the Razorbacks for the 2024-25 college season

When John Calipari took over the position in April, he had no players on the roster, as everyone had entered the transfer portal following Eric Musselman's move to USC. Over the next two months, the coach put together a decent roster of freshman recruits and portal signees.

The players have only started practice since June, but Calipari has high hopes for the team. In a news conference on Monday, he said (via ESPN):

"It was only a few short months ago, I walked in with no team, no staff and no schedule and now we're talking about ... how do we get them to get together but think bigger.

"You think big but you work bigger. This is not being delusional. You're not dreaming dreams. This is about what you're trying to accomplish for yourself. I'm trying to get them to think like kings, because kings think different."

While winning an NCAA championship next season is doubtful for John Calipari's team, fans are hopeful of a positive change in the Razorbacks' track record. They finished last season with a 16-17 record, missing March Madness.

What do you think of John Calipari's approach to Zvonimir Ivisic's playing style? And what are your predictions for Arizona in the upcoming season? Let us know in the comments section below.