Name: Roko-Leni Ukic
Club: Tau Vitoria (ESP)
Nationality: CRO
Position: G
Date of birth: 05.12.1984
Statistics:
EuroBasket 2005: Final Round PPG: 7.2 RPG: 1.0 APG: 1.7 FG: 35.7%
Adriatic 2005: PPG: 18.5 RPG: 2.8 APG: 4.3 FG: 44.2%
2005 was a big year for one of Croatia's biggest young stars, Roko-Leni Ukic.
The 195 cm guard had been recognised as Europe's top prospect at the guard position since leading Croatia to gold at the 2002 U18 European Championship in Germany.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Roko-Leni Ukic
|
|
|
However, unlike most of his contemporaries, Ukic never played again for the junior categories and was drafted straight into the senior national team in 2003.
The 195 cm is has the size to play shooting guard but the skills to play at the point with his ability to penetrate and either finish or find the open man.
Ukic played a major role in Croatia's EuroBasket 2005 qualification campaign, averaging 11 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 2.5 apg as Croatia qualified in first place over Russia in Group A.
At EuroBasket itself, Ukic showed flashes of the kind of play which has had NBA scouts describe him as a 'shocking talent'.
Coach Neven Spahija turned to Ukic in Croatia's biggest game, the quarter-final match-up against Spain. Although Croatia went down in overtime, Ukic came up big, posting 15 points in 21 minutes.
Taking responsibility has been something that Ukic has learned to do in the past seasons at Split. Already the team's leader in 2004/2005, he averaged 18.5 ppg and 4.3 apg in the Adriatic League, upping those numbers to 23.3 ppg and 6.4 apg in the Croatian league play-offs (Split were runners up to Zadar).
The performance earned him a call up to the NBA and he was drafted with the 41st pick by the Toronto Raptors in the summer.
However, Ukic spurned the Raptors and joined Tau Vitoria where he will no doubt continue his rise to the top of Europe.
I jos Vujo je opet imo "big game" 29 pts. u derbiju izraelskog prvenstva..