 After four seasons abroad chasing his dreams with a superpower club, Marko Tomas returned home to Croatia last autumn with the promise of taking on a major role with Cibona Zagreb. That promise is being fulfilled as Tomas, just turned 25, led Cibona into the Top 16 with a big performance in the last game of the regular season. Tomas averaged 14.3 points in the first round, more than double his best season of three with Real Madrid that ended with his release this summer. After choosing Cibona over several offers in order to stay in the Euroleague, he is now the competition’s 0th-best scorer headed into the Top 16, where Tomas wants to continue to use what he has learned to become a leader for Cibona. "I have a lot of experience in this competition," Tomas told Euroleague.net. "The Euroleague is the top competition in Europe and this year is already a special one for me, because for the first time I am a key player for my team. I am able decide many things on the court during games and I will be happy to continue that way."
Marko, first of all, congratulations on making the Top 16. How do you and your teammates view that accomplishment?
"At the start of the season, our objective was to make the Top 16. We knew it wouldn't be easy, because we have a young team with many guys who never played in the Euroleague before. We also had tough rivals. We couldn't stop Siena or Barcelona, but with the other three - Zalgiris, Asvel and Fenerbahce - we were able to compete. With a little luck at the end, we made the Top 16, and both the players and the club are happy for that accomplishment."
What was it like for you to get the call from Cibona to come home to Croatia right before the season?
"After being in Madrid for three years, I had some other offers in Spain, but at that moment, I just wanted to keep playing in the Euroleague. I talked a couple times with Coach Perasovic first, and after those conversations, decided to come home in the end. I just thought that there were more possibilities here with Cibona to start over, get confidence and lift my career up again."
How did Velimir Perasovic, your coach, explain when you signed what your role would be?
"He said I would be a protagonist of the team, that we would play the game through me and the other players. Everything has been like we talked about before I signed, so that's good."
Now you are leading the team in scoring and playing 32 minutes a game in the Euroleague. Is that the kind of opportunity you were looking for?
 "Sure, that's what I wanted. The numbers can always be better, but as I said before, we have a team that is young and inexperienced. We are trying, and so far, everything has come out well. We'll see if we can improve on it in the Top 16. Our three rivals are certainly tougher than us, but we'll try. We have three home games in which anything is possible."
As your team's top scorer, what's it like to get more defensive attention from other teams?
"In many games, I have had it difficult because opposing defenses are more mindful of me, so each time it becomes harder to score. But if that attention is on me, that means my teammates are free. In a couple of games, against Barca and Fenerbahce, I couldn't score. Basketball is like that sometimes, but if you play 30-some minutes, you eventually get points. It's just a question of confidence, and if a player has his coach's trust, it is much easier to play."
Coach Perasovic was a master scorer at the same position. What has he taught you this season?
"It's very clear that he's a coach who was also a player at the highest level. He still thinks like a player, and that makes it easier for me. When I miss four shots in a row, he tells me to keep shooting, because he knows that the shots will start falling soon. That's the kind of thing he understands about this position."
After reaching your goal of the Top 16, does Cibona go into the next round with no pressure?
"There is no pressure for us. Our objective was reached. Of course, we'll try 100 percent to win every game. We have six games, and even though the other three teams might be stronger, we have three games at home. We have the possibility to win those and make things tough on the other teams."
In the regular season, except for against Barcelona and Montepaschi, all Cibona's games were close. Is keeping it close a good strategy for the Top 16?
"Our strength in the Euroleague has been our defense. That is where we feel comfortable. If we play good defense and have a little luck - even considering our injury situation, with one key player out for the rest of the season - we might be able to surprise people."
Cibona visits Khimki in the Top 16 opener, so you'll face Raul Lopez, your teammate over the last three seasons at Madrid. How special will it be to play against him?
 "Yes, we were together three years as teammates, but now that we are on different teams, we both want to win. Khimki is a good team. We need them to not feel too comfortable at home, where they don't get too many fans. Hopefully, we can push them a lot, play well and try to surprise them. They have great players, but if we play well and play hard, keep it close in the last quarter, that's where our chance will come."
In your fourth Euroleague season, at age 25, you are already a young veteran. How do you see your Euroleague career developing?
"I am 25, yes, but I think I have a lot of experience in this competition. The Euroleague is the top competition in Europe and this year is already a special one for me, because for the first time I am a key player for my team. I am able decide many things on the court during games and I will be happy to continue that way."
Finally, you have been part of other Top 16s. How will it be to do so in Zagreb, in the Drazen Petrovic Basketball Center, with the fans behind you?
"Here, the people were a bit spoiled before and used to winning a lot. Now, it's not the same as in the old days when Drazen Petrovic and Co. were the best in Europe and always won. Some people understand that Cibona is going through tough times and doing its best. Let's hope we can keep winning in the Top 16 and make it as far as the playoffs, but understanding that the times of Drazen Petrovic and other great players were different. I think the people will be happy to support us as long as we keep working hard."
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