How Kentucky's Big Z got screwed over by the NCAA & archaic rules
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- Опубликовано: 20 июл 2024
- Zvonimir Ivisic made the decision in August to leave Croatia to come to Kentucky to play basketball.
But it was not until January 20th that he got to see the floor.
And that’s because the NCAA overlords who bring down their decisions like a Supreme Court of college athletics finally got around to deciding.
And in his first game…Zvonimir would do something that Kentucky fans watching that day would never forget.
The reasons why Zvonimir missed 17 games stem from antiquated thinking in how big time college athletics is viewed by universities and by the NCAA.
Zvonimir’s struggle to gain eligibility started back in August when Kentucky’s admission department would not let him in.
We need to take a fresh look at college athletics and its role in higher learning. it needs to be framed in a way that makes sense in 2024. For some kids basketball is their education.
Do you know what we never ask recruit whenever we do stories with them?
“What are you majoring in?”
Do you know why?
Because that would be stupid and waste of our time.
Zvonimir was lucky enough to be accepted into the Kentucky School of basketball. Those who can get into this program- offered at the University to only the most qualified students in the world- could mean you would be set for life.
Just in the last 13 years graduates of UofK’s basketball program have earned over 4 Billion dollars combined just on NBA salaries.
Those who didn’t make the NBA are still earning paychecks in the business of basketball.
When it comes to preparing young people for a future in their field of study and helping them obtain generational wealth, the basketball program is by far the most successful program at the University of Kentucky. So it made sense that if Big Z was going to be successful in the basketball business Kentucky was where he needed to go.
Unfortunately for Zvonimir there are people on college campuses that believe the year is 1924 and basketball club is just something you do while attending the University of Kentucky. You know, because it will look good on a resume.
And when you look at the classes that guys like Zion Williamson took while he was at Duke, tt might make you wonder why we have to keep pretending all of this stuff matters
I am not sure what Big Z’s class schedule looks like or what he is learning, other than how fundamentally flawed this entire system is. He sure is getting a first rate education in that.
When he was accepted and enrolled into the university that just meant it was then the NCAA’s turn to mess with the kids future.
He just got ruled eligible after having to miss 16 games. He basically served a 16 game suspension because the NCAA operates with the kind of urgency that makes it clear it’s not any of their kids being forced to sit out and their futures tampered with.
So you might be thinking, “Okay but there’s likely a good reason he was forced to sit out half the season.”
“Like maybe he provided someone with a gun that was used in a homicide.”
And while that sounds like a good guess, and a good reason for someone to not be allowed to play that actually would not have affected his eligibility in the slightest.
What Ivisic did was much worse in the eyes of the NCAA. He was paid a few hundred dollars in stipend money while playing for a team in Croatia. And you just can’t have that.
Someone needs to give me a good reason why a player who has been paid to play elsewhere shouldn’t be allowed to play for free in the United States. If they’re willing to go from getting paid to play to not getting paid to play…who is that hurting?
Even though he’s cleared now, it’s too late. The university he chose to play for, and the league he decided to play in both failed him.
This has much less to do with Kentucky winning games than it does with the NCAA and the colleges who participate under it just catching up with the times.
They have messed with this kids life and long term goals at this point. All to keep up the facade that this is still amateur sports which in the era of NIL is a level of denial so deep that it’s similar to saying the Titanic is unsinkable… today.
We’re well passed amateurism. It’s time to free big Z. But even more than that it’s beyond time the NCAA wakes up to other signs around them and the realities it’s facing. The game has taken on a massive change and it’s time for them to start acting like it has.
00:00 Intro
00:57 Admissions won't let Z in
02:06 The Kentucky school of basketball
03:50 NCAA won't let Z play
05:55 Free Big Z Billboard
06:46 Finally Free
07:55 Conclusion
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Really great journalism on this one boss! #BBN
Thanks bro!
After listening to him talk, the idea that he did not have a sufficient understanding of English is totally bizarre. I'm not real bummed out by the money rule, but the delay in making a decision here was absurd.
I like the jab at Brandon miller
It's truly sad because we could have used him against south Carolina 😭
Haha. I think we actually could have used him versus Texas A&M and maybe UNC-W
I think hes the most athletic 7'er on the planet. That spin move to the rim was INSANE. Not just anybody can do that. I dont know how hes gonna fit in to this mess we got but we will see. Our Uk team has not identified itself. I just dont know what were gonna get come game time. My goodness the pieces are there, can Cal an company put it together??? I don't think theres enough time but its gonna be fun to watch! Im jus praying they catch 🔥🔥🔥 in March and give em hell.
#GoCats
#KYTribalCatLogoGoesHard
Big fan of these video essays from Steven!
Need more of these honestly
Amazing video guys!!!!!
“You know why we don’t ask recruits what their major is? Because it’s stupid and a waste of time” LOL
I’m pretty sure communications is the major for most basketball players
NCAA HQ is in the heart of Indiana. That explains a lot.
It really does
Great work on this! But the anger is misdirected. The NCAA enforces the rules that are set up by the member institutions. Not trying to defend the org because they are a horrible bureaucracy but the rules could be changed by the universities and yet they don’t. The real outrage should be focused on the leadership at the universities that seem content to maintain the status quo and they will continue to do so until the public realizes who is ultimately at fault here.
Can’t argue there. A lot of my frustrations are with the universities with budgets in the billions who maintain this status quo. Kentucky has spent $850k a day on renovations alone for the last 10 years.
@@WatchKSR I agree. Look, I’m no fan of the way the NCAA conducts its business but at the end of the day exist to serve their member institutions. If you want change, it starts with the universities. Otherwise, you’re essentially blaming the cop for enforcing a bad law. If the law is bad, blame the legislators, not the cop and in this analogy the legislators are the universities.
Randy Travisy: He's Now a Wildcat, He has made his Presence Known on the Floor, He Will Soon Hit 7 3s in a Game, NCAA, You Finally Woke Up!!! Chorus: Give Me Love, Give Me Food, Give Me a Chance to Watch the #BigZ, The #BigZ will Make his Presence Known in the SEC, Hvala, Hvala, Hvala, Thank You #BigZ, You Bleed Big Blue!!! #KSR #BBN #kyjoe
Doesn’t this young man speak five languages? Clearly from this video he speaks English quite fluently.
Excellent video!!
Thank you Kevin! And thanks for watching!
For all the whiny dooms dayers saying our season is over have to believe the following. Big Z, Reed Sheppard, Dillingham, DJ Wagner and Reeves will all play this bad again on the same night, after being coached on how to handle physical play.
Agree! This team will bounce back Saturday.
The NCAA is marching towards obsolescence.
The NCAA HQ should be made up of amateurs. The top execs there are grossly overpaid.
Mark Emmert took $2.3 million as his final salary
savage. i love it
Cool 🔥☺
I was cheated to
Kentucky is not play well, defence is not so good and not only he is sitting on a bench ... strange descission
Kentscky fans should stay out of Indiana
Ok napoleon
@@Fazo69 exactly
@@user-wv9mx9lt3vno wonder you're so bitter. You used to be a Blueblood and now you're totally forgotten. I knew your team sucked.
I agree, the place sux!
I mean until Indiana is relevant again... which might take a few decades... i would pipe down.