Is Zvonimir Ivisic the best big man off the bench in college basketball?

 and that he There may not be a more intriguing player on Illinois’ roster entering the 2026-27 season than Zvonimir Ivisic.

Not necessarily because he is Illinois’ best player. And not necessarily because he is guaranteed more time than last year. But because Big Z may have one of the widest ranges of outcomes of anyone on the roster.

If David Mirkovic is healthy, Ivisic could be one of the best backup big men in college basketball. If Mirkovic’s recovery from foot surgery forces him to miss significant time, the 7-foot-2 Croatian center could suddenly find himself responsible for a bigger role.

Either way, it feels like people may be sleeping on what “Big Z” could become this season.

The tools have always been there. The question now is whether Year 2 in Brad Underwood’s program — along with a significant physical transformation — can help him put everything together.

Zvonimir Ivisic has gotten bigger

When Zvonimir Ivisic arrived at Illinois last season, he weighed approximately 222 pounds. According to Brad Underwood, he is now up to 260 pounds. For a 7-foot-2 player, that is a massive development.

A year ago, Ivisic was learning how to navigate the physicality of Big Ten basketball while still adjusting to Underwood’s system. There were flashes of what made him such an intriguing prospect: the size, mobility, shooting touch and ability to protect the rim. But there were also moments when his lack of strength showed.

The Big Ten is filled with physical frontcourt players, and life can become difficult when you are trying to hold position, rebound and defend the post at Z’s size. That should look different this season.

Illinois strength and conditioning coach Adam Fletcher has quietly become one of the program’s biggest advantages, consistently helping transform players physically during their time in Champaign. Ivisic may be Fletcher’s latest success story.

Nearly 40 additional pounds won’t automatically make Big Z a dominant post defender, but it should give him a much better chance to hold his ground, battle for rebounds and absorb contact around the basket.

And if the added weight hasn’t cost him mobility? That is where things could get really interesting.

Illinois wants more shot-blocking. Big Z could provide it.

Underwood made it clear during his recent media session that Illinois wants to become a better shot-blocking team defensively. Well, there is a pretty obvious candidate to help solve that problem.

Ivisic is 7-foot-2 with legitimate length and mobility. He can impact shots simply by being near the basket, but his ability to move makes him more than just a stationary rim protector.

Illinois has plenty of talented frontcourt options, but Ivisic possesses something few players can teach: size. The question is how much Underwood can get out of him.

Zvonimir Ivisic has never been a high-minutes player during his three-year college career. He averaged 11.7 minutes as a freshman, 19.1 minutes during his season at Arkansas and 17.2 minutes last season at Illinois.

At Arkansas, he started 19 games but exceeded 30 minutes just four times. Last season, he started four games for Illinois and played more than 25 minutes just once.

The numbers suggest that Ivisic has been most effective as an energy player in shorter bursts.

That makes sense. His greatest defensive value comes from activity. He has to run, recover, challenge shots and battle on the glass. Those responsibilities require energy, and Illinois may get the best version of Big Z when he can play with a high motor instead of trying to survive 30-plus minutes.

Can Big Z handle a bigger role?

This isn’t necessarily about whether Ivisic is talented enough to start. He is. The bigger question is whether he can maintain his effectiveness with a larger workload. His shooting is a good example.

Ivisic shot 37.6 percent from three across his first two college seasons, showing why NBA scouts have long been intrigued by his potential. A 7-foot-2 player who can protect the rim and consistently stretch the floor is a valuable commodity.

But last season, his three-point percentage dipped to 28 percent. That was a significant step backward and caused some of the early NBA buzz surrounding him to cool.

Still, one season doesn’t erase the skill. If Ivisic can return to being closer to the 37.6 percent shooter he was during his first two seasons, his entire offensive profile changes. Illinois suddenly has a 7-foot-2 center who can pull opposing big men away from the basket and create more room for guards and wings to attack.

That could make him difficult to keep off the floor. The challenge will be finding the right balance. Illinois may not want Ivisic playing 35 minutes per game. But could he give the Illini 22 to 25 high-quality minutes? Could he start if needed and still remain effective? Could the added strength allow him to stay on the floor longer without losing the energy that makes him valuable?

Those are questions Illinois could need answered quickly.

One of the nation’s best backup big men?

Here’s the case for Ivisic as one of the best backup big men in the country: There simply aren’t many reserves with his combination of size, experience and upside.

He is 7-foot-2 and has already played in the SEC and Big Ten. He has starting experience, has shown he can make threes, and he can protect the rim. And now, after adding nearly 40 pounds, he should be better prepared physically than at any point in his college career.

If Mirkovic is healthy, that could allow Illinois to deploy Big Z in the role where he may be most effective: shorter, high-energy stretches against opposing second units. That’s a scary thought for Illinois opponents.

Imagine spending 15 minutes battling one physical frontcourt combination, only to look up and see a fresh 7-foot-2 rim protector checking into the game.

That is a luxury few teams in college basketball possess. And if Mirkovic misses time? Then Ivisic’s role could become even more important. Either way, the opportunity is there for Big Z to have the best season of his college career.

The physical transformation is real. The experience is there. The NBA-level tools are still obvious. Now comes the most important part: turning all of that potential into production.

Zvonimir Ivisic doesn’t have to become a 30-minute-per-game star to have a massive impact for Illinois. In fact, he may be at his best when Illinois can keep his minutes manageable and allow him to play with maximum energy.

But whether he is starting or coming off the bench, one thing seems increasingly clear:

People may be sleeping on Zvonimir Ivisic. And by the end of the 2026-27 season, Illinois could have one of the best backup big men in the country — or a 7-foot-2 breakout star the rest of college basketball failed to see coming.