Be like Sabonis: Why Zvonimir Ivišić could be a hub for the Arkansas basketball offense

When Arkansas basketball assistant coach Chin Coleman sat down to watch film with Zvonimir Ivišić this week, the duo spent time examining the play of NBA star Domantas Sabonis.

Sabonis is a 6-foot-10 center who excels at everything for the Sacramento Kings. Also hailing from Europe, Sabonis operates efficiently from the high post, spraying passes to open shooters and back-door cutters while also possessing a strong scoring arsenal in the low post. Last year, he nearly averaged a triple-double with 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game.

Basically, Sabonis has all of the traits that John Calipari and the Razorbacks coaching staff want to maximize out of Ivišić.

“(Ivišić’s) where the game is going right now,” Coleman said Wednesday, previewing the upcoming exhibition against TCU.

“It’s all about size and skill, or guys with size that have guard skills. He’s 7-2. He has a lot of guard skills… He’s a guy that can dribble, pass, shoot, and those are the kind of players that we want in our offense in terms of being able to be a triple threat.”

More: Arkansas basketball bold predictions: John Calipari set for March revival with Razorbacks

More: Observations from John Calipari’s debut, Arkansas basketball’s exhibition win over Kansas

Ivišić got his Arkansas career off to a brilliant start with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in a charity exhibition against No. 1 Kansas. He got the start at center with Jonas Aidoo unavailable, and Ivišić made his case to be a starter when the regular season begins next week against Lipscomb.

Ivišić was a hub for the offense when he was on the floor against the Jayhawks. In the first half, he spent most minutes setting screens and operating with his back to the basket from the 3-point line.

Pulling Kansas big men away from the basket, Ivišić opened up driving lanes for the Arkansas guards. DJ Wagner and Boogie Fland combined for 46 points with Arkansas’ spacing playing a big role. Two of his assists came off…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/sabonis-why-zvonimir-ivi-could-091202057.html

Author : Ft. Smith Southwest Times Record

Publish date : 2024-10-31 09:12:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.