Victor Wembanyama’s path not followed: Top European basketball players opt for NCAA hoops in NIL era as Kentucky lures 7-foot-2 Croatian sensation from Montenegrin pro team

It is no longer illegal to profit from college basketball in the United States, but top European talents are now eschewing pro teams in their native countries to enroll in NCAA schools for the purpose of monetizing deals with name, image and reputation. license (NIL).

The latest European phenom to choose an American college is Zvonimir Ivisic, a 7-foot-2 Croatian power forward, who announced Tuesday his decision to join Kentucky coach John Calipari. The 19-year-old Ivisic played professionally in Montenegro together with his twin brother Tomislav.

“I was offered a scholarship from Coach Calipari to attend the University of Kentucky,” Ivisic wrote on Instagram. “I am delighted to say that I have accepted the scholarship and will be playing there next season. Go for Big Blue!’

Ivisic is one of several Euros breaking the paths of Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama, who both played professionally for elite European teams before draft eligibility and joining the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs, respectively. In fact, many basketball insiders have attributed part of Doncic and Wembanyama’s success to their decision to play against adult professionals in Europe.

But Ivisci isn’t alone in favoring college hoops over pro ball. Heading into the 2023-24 season, UCLA added Spain’s Aday Mara, Turkey’s Berke Buyuktuncel and Slovenia’s Jan Vide, while Arizona received commitments from Lithuanians Paulius Murauskas and Motiejus Krivas.

Victor Wembanyama didn’t bother with NCAA hoops, instead opting to play pro in France

It’s not that NIL deals are brand new. Rather, they’ve been allowed since 2021, when the collegiate sports board lifted rules barring student athletes from signing endorsement agreements or otherwise capitalizing on their name or likeness.

And some players have already been paid significantly, including LeBron James’ son Bronny, who reportedly booked $6.3 million in NIL deals before his cardiac arrest last week, jeopardizing his basketball career at USC.

As always, colleges are still prohibited from directly paying student athletes, but it is the emergence of NIL collectives that has helped boost European prospects.

Now collectives like The 15 Club in Kentucky or UCLA’s Men of Westwood can pool donations that can be offered as part of NIL deals to entice recruits to join supporters’ preferred teams.

Zvonimir Ivisic proudly announced his decision to go to UK this year with John Calipari (left)

How much NIL deals played a part in Ivisic’s decision remains a bit of a mystery.

Kentucky declined to comment on Ivisic on Tuesday, telling DailyMail.com he has yet to officially sign with the school. Spokespersons for The 15 Club did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com’s request for details of Ivisic’s current NIL agreements.

But according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, who covers NBA prospects and international basketball, “Ivisic’s commitment (to Kentucky) represents a major change.”

Givony stressed that NIL deals allow international prospects to bank six-figure deals, “completely changing the European market.”

Other basketball insiders have also noticed the change.

Chris Fisher, who covers UK basketball for TheCatsPause247, commented that ‘the UK has made tremendous strides in NIL.’

Although he is the size of a center, Ivisic reportedly handles the ball like a guard at the edge

A Twitter account that followed European basketball prospects added: ‘NIL certainly has a big impact here, as it can generate revenue that these types of players cannot generate in Europe.’

Yes, there are doubts about the fitness of Ivisic, who has played two seasons of professional football, albeit barely. In 2010, Kentucky had a similar issue with Enes Kanter, which went unresolved and the Turkish center was banned from playing NCAA basketball after spending the previous season with Fenerbahçe in Istanbul.

But there seems to be more confidence this time around that Ivisic will qualify, giving the soon-to-be 20-year-old a chance to hone his skills against the elite college league before signing up for the NBA Draft.

And for someone who averaged 11.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game for Croatia during the recent FIBA ​​U20 European Championship, America’s top league is a clear possibility.