No not (Rocky Balboa) the "Italian Stallion", but the "Croatian sensation", PG Roko-Leni Ukic who most scouts feel is the top PG prospect from Europe since Tony Parker. He has been considered among the elite PG''s for the past couple years while accumulating a hefty resume of hardware from International competitions. All this while at 6-2 to 6-3. He has also grown 4 inches over the past two years to his current 6-6.
He is born in Split, the most famous basketball center of Croatia, a team with great tradition. Split was the training ground for famous players Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja, Zan Tabak, Bruno Sundov, Andrija Zizic, Nikola Vujcic and younger prospects like Kresimir Loncar, Drago Pasalic, Mateo Kedzo and many others. Which is surprising for such a small town of just 180,000 citizens. Ukic first began playing for Split''s senior team in the 2000/2001 season. Split had a strong team and Ukic received only junk time.
The following season (2001/2002) Split''s team decresed in talent so Ukic received more playing time. In the summer that year he won European U-18 championship with teammates Pasalic, Kedzo and Tomas. He was leader of that team.
Last year he was projected as Split''s starting PG with Subotic coming of bench on a team where the oldest player was 22. They played well at the beginning of league competitions so Ukic got an invitation to play with the Senior National team. He played two or three games for the National team.
Ukic won U-18 European championship in 2002 with the Croatian national team. He was voted one of the five best players of the tournament. This year Croatia won fourth place with the same team in the U-19 World championship. Last year Split won the Croatian championship but he didn't play much.
Split is using him at shooting guard this year with McCants playing point guard. This is not helping to develop Ukic''s PG skills. But he still finds time at the point.
Ukic still has to work on becoming more under control, but he has the scoring ability and quickness to make it as an NBA player. Unlike combo guards Jiri Welsch, Zoran Planinic, and Marko Jaric, Ukic has better natural point guard skills and quickness. He has proven to be a leader and taken teams to win gold in European competitions. If he can add some strength, and cut down the turnovers, he can be a midfirst rounder.
One interesting note, his father plays in a famous Croatian rock band. Rock on Roko!
EVO KOM SE CITA SA
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