Andrija Jelavic Made Surprising Return to the Rotation

Wait — Is that No. 4? Surely, I was not the only one who had to take a closer look at the television screen on Saturday night. There was Andrija Jelavic, streaking down the court for the Cats.

Mark Pope has not created a concrete rotation this season. A bevy of injuries has complicated the matter, with Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance‘s irregular absences. Since the latter made his debut, Jelavic had been squeezed out of the lineup. With Quaintance sidelined against Mississippi State, Pope called No. 4’s number and Jelavic answered.

The 6-11 forward from Croatia had not logged 10+ minutes in a game since the Cats hosted North Carolina Central on Dec. 9. He played 17 minutes in Saturday night’s 92-68 victory over Mississippi State and made the most of his opportunity.

Jelavic grabbed five rebounds, had an assist, and a steal. Kentucky was +16 when he was on the court, and he polished off the performance with this three-pointer later in the second half.

Jelly for 3️⃣ 🤩

📺 – SEC Network pic.twitter.com/HVMoUY7Kzj
— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) January 11, 2026

Kentucky spread the wealth on Saturday night. Otega Oweh led the way with 22 points. Denzel Aberdeen scored 16 on 5-9 shooting. Kam Williams‘ shot-making injected energy into Rupp in the first half. Malachi Moreno posted a stat line rarely seen from a Kentucky Wildcat.

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Jelavic did not fill up the box score, but his contributions cannot be overlooked. For a time, it looked like he had been shelved, simply lost in the rotation. Most fans expected very little, and yet when his time came, he was prepared to make plays.

This team was built for depth to be a strength. It has not always felt that way, but it certainly proved to be the case during Kentucky’s first SEC victory of the season.

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