Andrija Jelavic expects to be in Lexington in "two weeks or less"

The final missing piece for Kentucky in 2025-26 is almost here, the Wildcats expected to see Andrija Jelavic make his way to Lexington ahead of the fall semester in the coming weeks.

Eight weeks of summer workouts wrap up on Thursday with players taking one final break starting this weekend before classes begin on August 25. During that stretch, the Croatian forward is planning to travel to the United States to begin his college basketball journey at UK.

Don’t believe me? Jelavic confirmed it himself, sharing on social media he’ll be in Lexington “in two weeks or less.” That timeline would allow him to check the remaining in-person boxes to begin the ramp-up process he missed out on this summer, starting with move-in, followed by testing and conditioning ahead of the official start of preseason practices.

He’s behind, but he’s now in a position to catch up with a comfortable transition alongside his teammates upon their return ahead of the semester.

Mark Pope confirmed back in July that the school had received Jelavic’s transcripts and things were looking good, but the first-year forward couldn’t officially practice with the team this summer by that point, no matter when he arrived.

Rather than come over and watch from the sidelines, it was best to stay in Croatia and train back home.

“He actually can’t work out with the team right now,” Pope said at the time. “There are a number of reasons why he wouldn’t be able to work out with the team. One of them is being an international student, first time in the states, with our summer courses, to take the required number of in-class hours was really complicated. But we’d like to get him here as soon as possible. He’s doing great. He’s training back home and I expect him to come and have a great impact.”

What are Pope’s expectations once Jelavic is finally able to join his teammates on the floor in Lexington, starting this fall?

“He’s a vet,” he said. “He’s been playing against grown men, so he should bring a lot. I think he’s a really good young man who’s been dreaming about this opportunity for a long time. I expect him to come here and have an immediate impact.”

Suiting up for Mega Superbet last season, Jelavić averaged 10.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 27.5 minutes per outing. He shot 48.5 percent from the field, 30.5 percent from deep, and 69.4 percent from the line across 29 games played. KSR recently broke down the Croatian big man’s fit and potential impact in Pope’s system:

The wait is almost over, folks.