Croatia opens EuroBasket with a dominant +54 victory

Croatia's U-16 basketball team opened its EuroBasket Division B campaign in convincing fashion. In the first round, played on Wednesday, August 6, 2026, in North Macedonia, the cadets dismantled their Swiss counterparts 101-47.

The victory for coach Roko Leni Ukić's side was never in doubt. After the first quarter alone, the scoreboard showed a massive 32-5 lead, effectively settling the outcome.

Family affair on the court: Luka Leni shines under dad Roko's guidance

The most efficient player for Croatia was none other than the coach's son, Luka Leni Ukić. The young guard finished the game with 21 points, adding five rebounds and seven assists, confirming his role as one of the key players of this generation.

Šime Vlaić also delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 17 points, dishing out six assists, and recording five steals. Nikša Zlopaša added 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists, rounding out a dominant display by the Croatian team.

Clear goal: return to Division A

Croatia arrived at the tournament in North Macedonia with a clear objective, to finish among the top three teams and secure promotion back to the elite Division A. This task has been set even without the super-talented Toni Garma, a Real Madrid player, who skipped this campaign.

In the remainder of the group stage, Croatia will face Iceland, Ukraine, and Cyprus. To reach the quarterfinals, they must finish in the top two of their group. The finalists and the third-placed team will earn promotion to the higher tier.

This is also the last men's national team competition of the summer. For the record, the U20 team finished between fifth and eighth place at their tournament, while the U19 team, playing on home soil in Rijeka and Opatija, failed to secure promotion to Division A.