Andrija Jelavić is starting to look right at home in a Kentucky uniform - and it’s showing up in the win column.
The sophomore big man has stepped into a starting role over the last seven games, and Kentucky has gone 6-1 in that stretch. He’s not putting up gaudy numbers, but what he’s doing is efficient, timely, and exactly what the Wildcats need from him.
Averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 boards in just 17 minutes per game, Jelavić is shooting over 53 percent from the field and has knocked down half of his threes (7-for-14) during this run. For a 6-foot-11 forward who wasn’t even in the rotation a month ago, that’s a major development.
“He’s becoming more comfortable in his own skin,” head coach Mark Pope said. “He’s become more comfortable with what we do and how we do it and how it looks and how it feels.”
That comfort didn’t come overnight. Early in the season, Jelavić showed flashes - some nice stretches in non-conference play hinted at his potential - but his role shrank as the games got tougher.
After averaging over 15 minutes across Kentucky’s first 10 games, he didn’t see the floor at all in back-to-back SEC losses to Alabama and Missouri. He was benched in key matchups against Indiana and St.
John’s. It looked like he might be the odd man out in a deep frontcourt.
Then came the opportunity. When freshman Jayden Quaintance was sidelined with knee swelling, Pope turned to Jelavić in a blowout win over Mississippi State.
The stat line was modest - three points, five rebounds - but the energy and effort were enough to earn him a shot in the starting five. He responded with his best performance yet in a comeback win over LSU, scoring 11 points and grabbing five boards in 21 minutes.
From that point on, he’s been a mainstay.
“He got a little down on himself early in the season, being from another country trying to come in and learn the language and our coaching system,” assistant coach Jason Hart said. “When he did sit, he had to sit and learn.
Sometimes sitting on the bench does that to you - lights a fire. I don’t think he wants to go back to the bench.
He’s coming out with a sense of urgency. He kind of knows what Coach Pope wants, and he knows what he can do.
We need him to keep playing strong and shoot with no fear.”
That urgency is translating into winning basketball. According to CBB Analytics, Jelavić is a +35 during conference play - third-best on the team behind only Malachi Moreno and Denzel Aberdeen.
That’s not just a stat; it’s a reflection of how impactful he’s been in his minutes. The team plays better when he’s on the floor.
But the numbers don’t fully capture the physical presence he’s brought to the lineup. The staff has taken notice of how much more assertive he’s become - especially in setting the tone early.
“We’ve made him our guy to get the first hit,” assistant coach Mikhail McLean said after the Oklahoma win. “So if you guys pay attention, every time he runs down the court to start the game, whoever he’s guarding, he’s just going to take a chunk at him. It’s legal, but he’s just setting the tone… He’s been doing an outstanding job of playing with physicality.”
That physicality has become a defining trait of his game. He’s not just floating on the perimeter or waiting for the ball to come to him - he’s initiating contact, battling on the boards, and making his presence felt from the opening tip. That kind of edge is contagious, and it’s helped Kentucky find some much-needed toughness in the paint.
The results speak for themselves. Kentucky is 11-2 this season when Jelavić scores five or more points. In their recent stretch of seven wins in eight games, the only loss came when he played just 11 minutes - his lowest total in that span.
The takeaway? More Jelavić is proving to be a winning formula.
He’s not the flashiest player on the roster, but he’s become one of the most reliable. And as the Wildcats gear up for the heart of SEC play, his emergence could be one of the biggest stories to watch.
Right now, he’s not just earning minutes - he’s earning trust.