Mark Pope says Andrija Jelavic's unique skillset can help Kentucky

Jelavic got more time on the bench on Saturday than he has had in over a month.

Kentucky Wildcats forward Andrija Jelavic (4) reacts during game against the North Carolina Central Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

In Kentucky basketball's 24-point win over Mississippi State on Saturday, the offense looked completely different, as not only were they able to continue finding success in transition, but the half-court offense included more cutting, screens, and plenty of ball-movement. The spacing is a key part of why that happened, and in this game, Mark Pope had a different rotation, playing guys like Kam Williams and Andrija Jelavic more, who are guys that can really stretch the floor.

Mark Pope talked about it after their loss against Missouri just days earlier, but his offensive system thrives when the half-court offense is efficient and in sync. It certainly was on Saturday, and his tweak to the rotation was a big part of that. We already discussed why Kam Williams needs to continue getting more minutes, but there was another player with stretch ability who made an impact. That guy was Andrija Jelavic, who took the floor for the first time since Dec. 23. He barely has taken the floor in the last month, but he made sure to make an impact whenever he was in the game against Mississippi State.

Jelavic adds a dimension to the Kentucky offense similar to an Andrew Carr type of role, where teams have to respect you on the perimiter, and with the size, can help spread the floor much better. That's exactly what happens when you have a big man with the stretch ability of Jelavic. Pope raved about the Croatian big man on Monday, who he says has kept a great spirit despite not even stepping onto the floor in the last few games. Jelavic responded well, making a three, grabbing five rebounds, and finishing with a plus-minus of +14 in his 17 minutes of time. He knows his skillset is valuable for how he likes to run his offense.

"(Andrija Jelavic) was awesome. He’s handled it great. He’s a pretty steady human being. He’s like, 'Hey I don’t like that I’m not playing right now, but I understand the process and I’ve been through this before and I know that if I just keep working then good things are going to happen whenever it’s time for them to happen.' I think he had some sense of the fact that he could be thrust into that game Saturday, and I thought he was really good. His presence, he has a calmness about him,” Pope added. “He made pretty good decisions on the offensive end. We’re gonna need him to be good going forward just because he has a skillset that can really help us.“

Pope talked about his players starting to understand each other and figuring out the offense, but an underrated part of Saturday's win was who he played in the game. Guys like Kam Williams and Jelavic can really thrive in a Pope offense that has the normal spacing and pace that comes with it. With Jaland Lowe out for the rest of the year, it will be worth watching if the Wildcats can consistently produce, as Jasper Johnson will carry a massive responsibility from now on.