When Andrija Jelavić finally arrived on campus August 18, he had already missed the bulk of summer practices. a nine-week deficit compared to most of his Kentucky teammates. But what he lacked in missed time, he’s been making up for it with impact thus far.
Thursday night’s Blue-White Scrimmage offered an early glimpse of just that. Jelavić logged 8 points, 2 rebounds and an assist, going 2-of-3 from deep, and punctuated the win for the Blue team with a transition dunk to close the game that drew plenty of eyes in the Coliseum.
That kind of production from a player still learning the ropes of Pope’s system only reinforces what some insiders had already expressed: the talented Croatian is already turning heads.
From Late Arrival to Late-Game Heroics
Pope and others have repeatedly discussed that Jelavić arrived behind schedule. He missed summer workouts, practices, drills, and early system teachings. Yet in just over two months, he’s shown signs of catching up.
“He was nine weeks late getting here,” Coach Pope said,“He’s been playing catch-up from the moment he landed. But he’s gotten better every single day … you can really see him starting to get comfortable.”
Teammates have echoed that sentiment. Jaland Lowe recently spoke on his development aswell:
“He’s put together a lot of great practices. He’s starting to finally feel in control a little bit more, just getting accustomed to everything. He’s doing really good, we’re excited to have him.”
Big Blue Madness: A Preview of the Shot Maker
One detail that adds weight to Jelavić’s potential is his showing at Big Blue Madness, where he went toe-to-toe with Trent Noah in the 3-point shooting contest. Jelavić scored 21 points in the finals, but Noah pulled ahead for the victory.
That performance didn’t go unnoticed: it confirmed that even before the Blue-White Scrimmage, Jelavić’s shooting touch was real. That kind of deep shooting is one of the traits that could offer Pope a unique frontcourt spacing option.
Andrija Jelavic | Photo by Chet White — UK Athletics
What Tonight Showed
The Blue-White game is always, interesting to say the least: short quarters, mismatched rotations, and experimental lineups, but Jelavić’s showing carried more weight given his uphill path:It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for the Croatian freshman. After missing the entire summer and not arriving on campus until August 18, Jelavić has quickly made up ground. He’s already shown flashes of what Kentucky coaches and teammates have been raving about: stretching the floor and embracing the competitive culture that’s defined this group. We will get to see him play in action for the first time next week on the 24th, when Kentucky faces off against No. 1 ranked Purdue in one of the most anticipated exhibition games ever.
