It's clear this Kentucky Wildcat is a massive difference-maker

This Wildcat was incredible in his Kentucky debut.

The Kentucky Wildcats probably would have defeated the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday regardless of whether freshman Zvonimir Ivisic suited up.

But it sure was fun to finally have him on the floor.

The Croatian big man dropped 13 points with five rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and two steals in just 16 minutes of action, shooting a crisp 5-7 from the floor and 3-4 from the three point line.

His presence was instantly felt on both ends of the floor, and his ability to space the floor opened up driving lanes for DJ Wagner (18 points on 8-12 shooting) and Antonio Reeves (21 points on 7-12 shooting).

Ivisic was long billed as a potential impact contributor for Kentucky thanks to his size, outside shooting, and rim protection, but to see it all on display in his first game - which came just a few hours after it was reported the NCAA cleared him to play - is extraordinarily exciting for Kentucky going forward.

Ivisic gives this team more depth in the frontcourt, perhaps their most glaring weakness, and helps shore up the team's defense which was an issue in the second half against the Bulldogs - who dropped 61 and made the final score far closer than it needed to be.

Ivisic can take some pressure off fellow freshman Aaron Bradshaw, who had six points and three rebounds in 21 minutes, and even Tre Mitchell, who was able to shift to a more natural role at power forward where he dropped 23 points on 8-10 shooting, while adding five rebounds and four assists.

It's unclear how big Ivisic's role will ultimately get in Calipari's rotation, but if he keeps playing even close to the level he did on Saturday his arrival will be a tremendous difference maker for a team that looks capable of earning a No. 1 seed and playing well into March - and even early April.