Andrija Jelavic 'instantly committed' to Kentucky after talking to Mark Pope

All it took was one phone call for Mark Pope to seal the deal with Andrija Jelavic. In fact, the Croatian forward wanted to be a Wildcat well before then — really from the time he heard Kentucky was potentially interested.

No drama, no bidding war, no list cuts, no real competition.

Was it the easiest commitment of all time for Pope and his staff? That was the goal for Jelavic.

“Honestly, the story started at one point at the last season with Mega (Superbet). I played a game and I was really good, and that’s when the Kentucky rumor started to spread,” the 6-11 freshman told Keith Farmer of BBN Tonight. “At one point, my agent told me, ‘Kentucky is interested in you.’ Since that moment, we knew we wanted Kentucky.”

Interest is different than an offer or accepted commitment, though. A school can say they want you without putting their money where their mouth is.

Then the call came from Pope — the first and last Jelavic would take.

“You never know what they think. The moment Mark Pope called me and said that he wanted me to be a part of this team this year and everything, I instantly said, ‘Yes, I want to be here,'” he told BBN Tonight. “We didn’t even talk about the details and everything. I instantly committed.”

Even Pope was caught off guard by Jelavic’s readiness, calling the Croatian forward’s bluff by telling him to make it official with his agent, Misko Raznatovic, if he wanted to make it official.

That was the end of it, the Wildcats earning a commitment from one of the top European prospects in the class of 2025, the news going public shortly after on April 12.

“He said, ‘Tell your agent that you want to commit.’ I told him and I instantly committed — I didn’t even talk to the other college coaches,” Jelavic said. “So Mark Pope was the first and only coach I spoke to about that.”

What made Kentucky such an obvious pick for a player certainly worthy of a high-profile recruitment — and the bidding war those come with? The brand speaks for itself, even 5,000 miles away from Lexington in Zagreb, Croatia.

If you’re going to play college basketball, why not suit up for the biggest and best?

“Everyone knows about Kentucky — the name, the legacy, everything. It was for real. When a big name like that wants you to be part of it, it’s a dream come true. The moment I heard that name, I wanted to be part of this organization, and just talking to Mark Pope confirmed it. I instantly saw what kind of man he is, what kind of coach he is.

“It was just one of the most easy decisions in my life.”

Jelavic comes to Kentucky after averaging 11.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per contest last season for Mega Superbet in the Adriatic League. He may technically be a freshman, but at 21 years old with several years of professional basketball under his belt, expectations are high the 6-11 forward will be a day-one contributor in Lexington.

“I expect him to come and have a great impact,” Pope said of Jelavic “… He’s a vet. 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.”

For more of Jelavic’s sitdown with Keith Farmer and BBN Tonight, click here.