ROME–Maybe this is the year Roko Ukic breaks out and shows the talent that leads many to think he'll be an NBA player some day.

Playing for a compatriot Croatian coach for Lottomatica Roma in the top division of Italian basketball, Ukic is trying to recreate the buzz that made him a second-round pick of the Raptors in 2005.

He's trying to forget two lost seasons in Europe, years where he could hardly get on the court, much less make any lasting impressions.

"I know the coach," Ukic said of Lottomatica's Jasmin Respera, who coached the 6-5 guard as a teenager in Croatia. "I like the situation now in the room, you know, and we will see how things will go."

So will the Raptors, starting this afternoon when they face the local team in their final Rome pre-season game.

President and general manager Bryan Colangelo said the 23-year-old remains a part of Toronto's future plans. The Raptors hold Ukic's NBA rights in perpetuity and will be following his progress closely this year.

"There is an awareness of him around the league," said Colangelo, admitting he's had at least one team call to enquire about obtaining him. "There is debate about a whether he's going to fit in the NBA.

"I still think his game is more suited for the NBA."

Ukic is known now more as a creator on the court than a scorer and there are deficiencies in his game and his body. He's not a good enough shooter right now, he admits, and he needs to put some muscle on a slight frame.

But the Raptors remain in the forefront of his mind, too.

"They have to tell you what they plan to do with me," he said. "For me, I just need to ... make them to want me more and more. Get more mature in the game and see what happens next year, or in two years or in five years, I don't know."