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Marko Tomas, Croatia (photo by CroHoops.com)

Without it’s leading scorer in preparation cycle SG Kruno Simon, Croatia really had no clue how to deal with the pressing French NT and lost the game by 60:83.

Croatia managed to hit ONLY ONE THREE-POINTER OUT OF SEVENTEEN ATTEMPTS (Popovic) and to score it’s first transition basket as late as 25th minute of the game!

G/F Bojan Bogdanovic led Croatia with 16 points to go along with 7 boards, but ended 0-5 from downtown. C Stanko Barac added 13 points, while PF Luka Zoric had 10 points.

General impression is that Croatia has the tools to battle underneath the basket against anyone but still lacks much needed cohesion in the backcourt, especially under the pressure.

Coach Vrankovic had little/no success with implementing key tactical solutions during preparation cycle which could get Croatian NT in some early trouble at the upcoming EuroBasket.

G/F Marko Tomas left the game with the leg injury which is still not diagnosed. Tomorrow, Croatia will face China in the last game of it’s EuroBasket preparation cycle.

C Luka Zoric scored 18 points for Croatia (photo by FIBA.com)

In it’s third game on London Invitational Croatian NT head coach Josip Vrankovic had the idea of testing some of the tactical concepts for the upcoming Eurobasket competition.

Well the experiment didn’t turned quite as he and his staff expected. Croatia suffered a 66-78 loss to Australia, after managing to score only 5 points between 8th and 20th minute.

During that time span Auastralia managed to score as much as 27 points, before building a 21-point lead during the 3rd quarter.

C Luka Zoric (18 points) and PG Marko Popovic (15 points, 5 boards, 5 assists) helped Croatia to narrow the gap to 7-points during the 4th quarter. Australia was paced by PG Patty Mills’ 22 points.

Joshua Heytvelt, Zagreb CO (photo by kk-zagreb.hr)

According to undisclosed source close to Zagreb CO, club management will most likely extend contracts with the remaining frontcourt anchors C Mario Kasun and PF Josh Heytvelt.

With Luka Zoric’s recent departure to Unijaca Malaga (ACB/Spain) Zagreb CO’s critical issue right now is to keep/improve it’s front line for the next Euroleague season.

Bering in mind that C Mario Kasun has fought various injuries throughtout the past season Zagreb CO will most certainly look for free agent reinforcement on the center position.

Heytvelt, who has reportedly been impressed with the general environment both in Zagreb and Croatia, has already experienced Euroleague while playing for Virtus Roma last season.

Sharp-shooting power forward has been labeled by some Croatian coaches as “the player who’s game is obviously far more suitable for Euroleague than for regional competitions.”



Zagreb CO PF Luka Zoric is about to sign three-year contract with the Spanish powerhouse Unicaja Malaga. Terms of the deal remain undisclosed.

After demonstrating great improvement in 2009/10 season, 6’10”/209cm Zoric was Zagreb CO key player in both Croatian Championship and Croatian Cup title run during 2010/11 season.

Thanks to his great wingspan he often dominated inside the paint and was both Adriatic League and Croatian A1 League statistical MVP for the past season.

Here is Zoric’s statement: “I am aware that I will become the part of the great club, one of the greatest in the Spain and even in the whole Europe. I have heard so many nice things about the club, the town and the fans. Before signing up I have talked with the couple of players and coaches who were the part of Unicaja and they have all told me the best things about the club.”

In Malaga, Zoric will be joined by his countryman, versatile forward Hrvoje Peric. Peric  spent last season with Benetton Treviso of Italian Lega A playing for Croatian coach Jasmin Repesa.

In front of 2500 spectators in Trnsko, Zagreb CO managed to take advantage of their homecourt and to win game 2 of the final series by 82:72. Home team grabbed the early lead but Cedevita managed to stay close at the halftime (37:36) thanks to a solid shooting night by SG Robert Troha (13 points).

In the 3rd quarter Cedevita managed to take the lead but after a series of questionable referee calls both Cedevita’s head coach Aleksandar “Aco” Petrovic and it’s key inside player F/C Corsley Edwards (5 fouls in 10 minutes) were ejected from the game after receiving technical fouls.

With Petrovic replaced by assistant Ivan Rudez Cedevita became a relatively easy bite for Zagreb CO, especially after 19-3 streak in the closing stage of the game. Croatian A1 League MVP  Luka Zoric was again impressive on his way to 34 points (12-20 from the field, 10-16 from the line, 7 rebounds).

After the game Cedevita’s players, coaches and club officials were not available for comments.
Game 3 of this heated local series is scheduled for Saturday, June 4th (20.15 CET).

Zagreb was able to explore it’s overall physical presence and relative freshness in order to convincingly win game 1 of Croatian A1 League final series by 58:73.

Cedevita had no answer to the play of long-armed Zagreb CO C Luka Zoric who was able to breakdown Cedevita’s interior defenders at will. On the other side Zagreb CO SF Ante Masic reconfirmed himself as the right defensive match for just about all Cedevita’s outside shooting options (Bazdaric, Rudez, Wright). The two combined for 34 points and 26 boards.

Many basketball VIPs already claim that without homecourt advantage and without SG Bracey Wright who has partially ruptured his calf in the game 1 of the series and has reportedly been placed on the injured list until the end of the season, Cedevita could easily become “sweep” material.

Cedevita’s head coach Aco Petrovic is very aware of that but will give his best effort to explore the situation and try to build up “nothing to lose” attitude in the locker room:

“We have to regain the homecourt advantage with the right approach in Game 2. However Zagreb has the advantage at this moment because they lead 1:0 and we have lost Wright who was our key player in the pressure situations like this one during the season.”

Game 2 of the final series is scheduled for Wednesday (20.15 CET).

CROATIAN LEAGUE MVP – LUKA ZORIC, ZAGREB CO
(photo by ezadar.hr)

Although Zagreb CO has recently been playing without their major season reinforcements, C Mario Kasun & G Alex Renfroe, it again managed to capitalize it’s interior presence and by winning Zadar 84:78 advance to Croatian A1 League Finals for the first time in it’s respectful history.

“Ants” were led by inside-outside punch of C Luka Zoric(22pts+7reb+5ast+3blk) & SG Kruno Simon(23pts+10reb), while the x-factor of the first game F/C Josh Heytvelt added 14 pts+9reb.

For Zadar it was SG Marko Car (26 points, 5 threes, 5 assists) & PF Brandon Brown (17pts+10reb) who made the game relatively close until the very end.

Zagreb CO is now awaiting for the winner of the heated local Cedevita vs Cibona semifinal series. Cedevita has the 1-0 lead.