Croatian Basketball's 'Big Three' Falls Apart
An influx of fresh capital has turned the reigning champions into the main favorites, while their Dalmatian rivals remain in the shadow of the financial power from Tornjo.
An influx of fresh capital has turned the reigning champions into the main favorites, while their Dalmatian rivals remain in the shadow of the financial power from Tornjo.
Although Cibona ended Zadar's three-year dominance a few months ago and brought the Croatian championship title back to Zagreb, the real earthquake in the balance of power in domestic basketball occurred only this summer. The transfer window revealed dramatic changes: while key players were mostly leaving Višnjik and Grip, a team that looks untouchable on paper was assembled at the foot of Tornjo, thanks to new owner Victor Dodig and fresh capital.
The reason for the new situation is quite prosaic, money. Cibona is very close to completing a roster that should be too strong even for the remaining members of the "big three," Zadar and Split. The club from Tornjo has strengthened itself with key players from its biggest rivals: Lovro Mazalin returned from Zadar, and Antonio Sikirić, the MVP of the Krešimir Ćosić Cup final tournament, arrived from Split.
Croatian national team player Lovro Gnjidić also returned to Dražen's Home from Dubrava, while sports director Marin Rozić found in Roko Badžim, a returnee from Turkish club Merkezefendi, a domestic player who can be a game-changer. Only six players remain from the championship squad, but not the three nominal best: Žan Mark Šiško, captain Krešo Radovčić, and American shooter Justin Roberson. Luka Skorić also went to the NCAA, and Josip Pavković left the club, leaving coach Ivan Rudež without the core of last season's team.
However, Cibona has also found two American guards on the market who should make a difference even in the ABA League, to which the club returns after a season's hiatus. The latest addition, shooter Khalif Battle, coming from Italian club Trento, is the most expensive player of the new Cibona with an annual salary of around 200,000 euros. He is expected to share minutes at the "two" position with Ricky McGill, who was the MVP of the Northern European League two years ago in the jersey of Newcastle Eagles, and last season won the Slovak championship title with Levice Patriots and was the league's top scorer. The team is not yet complete, as they are still looking for another foreign player for the high positions.
While standards have been raised under Tornjo in every sense, Zadar has remained in the same dimensions, which now means a budget half the size of their eternal rival from Zagreb. The biggest "reinforcement" at Višnjik is the retention of Vladimir Mihailović, the best player in Croatia for the last two seasons, as well as Marko Ramljak, who will continue to lead the team as captain. Karlo Žganec, however, has left, and the club is still searching for a cornerstone center.
New coach Stipe Modrić, who began his coaching career at Slovenian club Ilirija, is expected to give more space to Zadar's "kids." Alongside experienced Krševan Klarica, the rotation should include Toni Torbarina, Manuel Dundović, Luka Bičić, Alexander Božiković, and Luka Gulan. The key addition is Ross Williams, a playmaker with four years of European experience from Swiss club Fribourg, Czech Brno, and German Hamburg Towers. The team will have no more than three foreigners, which is the maximum allowed to be on the court simultaneously in domestic competitions from next season.
The last member of the "big three," Split, currently seems quite "disoriented." After the sagas with Danijel Jusup and Ivan Tomas, the new coach is former assistant Ivan Rančić, but the roster has only four players with serious senior experience: mainstays Vito Kučić and Noa Svoboda, and returnees Lovro Runjić and Darko Bajo from the Vienna club. There are also Roko Jemo and three juniors who will join, Martin Salamunić, Igor Stanković, and Matej Jukić.
Split still does not have a complete team; they must bring in a starting playmaker, a shooter, and a center, as well as at least one more perimeter player and two big men. Potential reinforcements mentioned are former Cibona and Zadar players Radovčić and Žganec, and Ivan Gulin, one of Dubrovnik's best players. Last season, Split finished with five foreigners, not counting Grant Anticevich, a New Zealand basketball player with Croatian roots, but now there will be no more than three.
