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Velimir Perasovic, Head Coach
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Coach, tell us about your team's roster for the next Euroleague season, what changes you made and what improvements you expect to gain from those decisions?
"We have changed almost our entire roster. We signed a lot of players because we also thought that changing the team was a good for us. We decided to sign Croatian players and managed to get experienced ones like Nikola Prkacin, Damir Markota, Davor Kus and some others, with a majority of Croatian players. We only have one foreign player, point guard Earl Calloway. We think we put together a competitive team for the Euroleague."
How much can you learn from the preseason about your team? What signs do you look for now that will help when the Euroleague starts?
"We have only been with the whole team for one week, because some of our players were at the Olympic Games with the Croatian national team and came back recently. We have started to play friendly games. We will have eight friendly games before the start of the Adriatic League."
Now that all the other teams have mostly completed their rosters, how does the competition in the Euroleague this season look like to you?
"I think that, as in every season, the most powerful teams are the Spanish, the Greeks and CSKA, in terms of money. I think that there are two Italian teams at that level this season, Montepaschi Siena and Lottomatica Roma, who can join that fight, as well as Maccabi. There is always a group of around 10 favourites at the beginning of the season. I think that the fight to make it to the Top 16 will be interesting, with all those teams that fight to reach as high as possible in the competition, maybe not with as many chances as those first-level teams."
What are your goals going into the new Euroleague season?
"The most important things for us is making it to the Top 16. If we manage to make it to the Top 16, we will have enough points to make sure that we play the Euroleague next season. That is a do-or-die issue for us."
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 As the marquee name in Croatian basketball, Cibona Zagreb, has made a marked effort to return to the Euroleague elite by rounding up many of the top players that the nation has produced in recent years onto one squad. Former stars Davor Kus, Damir Markota, Branimir Longin and Nikola Prkacin all returned to the club over the summer to work under head coach Velimir Perasovic, a big name in Croatian basketball history. That's not to forget the new fruits of the club's youth system, Franko Kastropil, Luksa Andric and Filip Kruslin, nor players like Earl Calloway, Vedran Princ, Goran Vrbanc, Robert Troha and Vedran Vukusic, who have also come aboard to help Cibona on its missions. Last season proved less than the high expectations Cibona always holds for itself, but with a revamped roster, this team has a clear objective: a spot in the Euroleague Top 16 for the first time in four years.
| Name |
Pos.
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Height
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| Filip Kruslin |
G
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2.00
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| Marin Zoric |
F
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2.01
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| Vedran Vukusic |
F
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2.03
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| Luksa Andric |
C
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2.10
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| Franko Kastropil |
C
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2.13
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| Vedran Princ |
G
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1.90
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| Goran Vrbanc |
G
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1.94
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| Leon Radosevic |
C
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2.08
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| Tomislav Zubcic |
F
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2.10
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| Robert Troha |
G
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1.94
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| Earl Calloway |
G
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1.91
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| Damir Markota |
F
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2.08
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| Branimir Longin |
G
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1.96
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| Nikola Prkacin |
F
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2.08
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| Davor Kus |
G
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1.90
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| Head Coach: Velimir Perasovic
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Kus is back after a year away to steady the ship. The veteran playmaker is a classic floor general who will look to get others involved, but rarely misses when left open. His presence will also help newcomer Calloway adjust to European basketball. Calloway brings similar skills as Kus and when the two play together, it will be a headache for opposing defenses. The veteran Troha is a great shooter and a solid defender who is up to every challenge at shooting guard. Longin compliments Troha well at the other wing. He can hit from downtown, too, and his aggressive style gets his teammates and the crowd going. Kruslin, still a teenager, saw limited action last season, but has solid shooting, post-up and defense skills to become an important role player now. Likewise, Princ will be ready to bring energy and defensive intensity off the bench.
Markota will look to bounce back after a meniscus injury kept him out of the Olympics. With the body of a power forward and the shooting skills of a guard, he is a constant mismatch whenever on the floor.  Prkacin is a proven big man and leader with excellent passing skills that help to open the floor for the shooters. He is also a strong rebounder. Andric has shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but still seeks the consistency that will make him a prime-time player. At his best, Andric is a mobile center with a great mid-range shot and good rebounding and shot-blocking skills. Marin Zoric is a tough forward who can bang at both ends of the floor, Vukusic a threat to generate points in a bunches and Kastropil a big, strong defensive presence ready to make impact in his second Euroleague season. Two more teenagers, Tomislav Zubcic and Leon Radosevic, are stars of the next generation who will look to gain experience this year.
In the tradition of Croatian basketball and the team's own head coach, Cibona can be expected to light up the scoreboards from downtown this season and will look to do so whenever players get open. The passing skills of Kus and Calloway at point guard and Prkacin in the paint will dictate how many open looks their teammates get, but when the Cibona shooters heat up, they will be dangerous. Experience combined with the hunger of this squad to keep Croatian basketball on the rise will put Cibona in position to stay mighty as always at home, but also challenge everyone even when away from the comforts of Zagreb.
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