Can Kentucky basketball’s Andrija Jelavic work way back into rotation?

LEXINGTON — Even before Andrija Jelavić arrived from overseas, Mark Pope made the expectations clear.

“He’s a vet,” Pope said of the 6-foot-11 Croatian big man last July. “He’s been playing against grown men, so he should bring a lot. And I think he’s a really good young man who’s been dreaming about this opportunity for a long time.

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“I expect him to come in here and have an immediate impact.”

And to an extent, Jelavić did just that. At least early in Kentucky basketball’s 2025-26 season. Before the calendar turned to 2026, Jelavić appeared in 11 of the Wildcats’ 13 games. He logged at least 10 minutes in all but one of those outings.

But cracks began to appear as UK hit rock bottom.

Kentucky lost its first four marquee matchups (Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina and Gonzaga). While Jelavić played well in limiting UNC superstar freshman Caleb Wilson to a 5-of-19 shooting performance, the international prospect was nowhere to be found in Kentucky’s come-from-behind win over Indiana on Dec. 13.

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After that triumph over the Hoosiers, Pope downplayed Jelavić’s absence.

“I did feel like there was space for Jela to be really effective in this game,” Pope said. “I actually felt like it made some sense. He’s our most effective post player, especially at the 4, and this mucked-up game kind of felt that way. But the game just kind of told us where to go, and the guys responded pretty well. So, I expect Jela is going to help us in the future, for sure.”

Not in the immediate future, though.

One week later, Jelavić again was glued to the bench as UK rallied to beat St. John’s in Atlanta. Though he briefly took the court — for all of seven minutes — versus Bellarmine three days later, Jelavić didn’t play in the team’s SEC-opening loss to Alabama on Jan. 3.

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What do Andrija Jelavić’s numbers — advanced or otherwise — say about his play this season?

Nov 21, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Andrija Jelavic (4)…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kentucky-basketballs-andrija-jelavic-way-101020628.html

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Publish date : 2026-01-05 10:10:00

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