GEVGELIJA & SKOPJE (North Macedonia) - Croatia were down by one with 6.2 seconds left on the clock in the FIBA U16 EuroBasket Division B Final against Iceland, and the team’s head coach, Roko Leni Ukic, called a timeout.
With his team taking the ball out of bounds on Iceland’s end of the floor, the former NBA player and Croatian national team captain drew up a play for his point guard: pitch the ball to forward Fran Strahija in the short corner, who would hand it back to the guard as soon as both his feet were set behind the three-point line.
The simple-yet-deadly play was executed to perfection, giving Croatia a two-point lead in what eventually became the game-winning shot that won the Division B title, on top of a promotion spot to next year’s Division A tournament - which the team had already earned by winning its Semi-Final.
The point guard in question would go on to be named MVP of the tournament, and he just happens to be Roko’s son, Luka Leni Ukic.
There was, however, no influence from family ties when designing the play, as Ukic was simply Croatia’s best player throughout the tournament; averaging 22.7 points, 6.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game - which ranked him second, third and eighth in the tournament, respectively - while being the defining factor for Croatia in every game he played.
In this Player Spotlight, we’ll go over the younger Ukic’s impact for his team and what his play in North Macedonia means for his projection to the next level of competition.
Offense
Ukic’s most dangerous offensive weapon is his ball-handling, and he’s clearly at his best when he has the ball in his hands and is creating advantages off the dribble.
The 16-year-old is a fluid ball-handler who can flow seamlessly through the arsenal of dribble moves he has in his bag, including behind-the-back dribbles, stutters, offbeat dribbles, in-and-outs and crossovers, which he utilizes to beat defenders, keep his dribble alive against pressure and execute counters to anything the defense throws his way.
Ukic’s relentlessness in putting pressure on the defense is complemented by his ability to finish around the basket. Despite not being particularly imposing physically, Ukic has been tremendously efficient in the paint, shooting 67.5 percent on shots at the rim on nearly six attempts per game, both tremendous numbers for a guard at his age.
The biggest weapon for Ukic in this area is his finishing versatility, as he possesses the length to finish around defenders, the craftiness to convert difficult reverse layups and floaters, and the hang time to readjust mid-air and avoid defenders contesting his shot.
This ability to consistently get to the rim generates defensive attention, which he continuously utilizes to create open shots for teammates, as shown by his average of 6.4 assists per game, the third-best mark in the entire tournament.
In the half-court, Ukic doesn't necessarily operate as a traditional floor general who runs a pick-and-roll-heavy game.
Instead, he is more of a passer on the move who takes advantage of the opportunities and defensive breakdowns he creates, finding open shooters on the perimeter.
This is also what makes Ukic a very good transition passer, as he is able to advance the play with long-range outlet passes and find open teammates when he’s leading the break.
In both situations, the BC Split guard shows the quickness to scan the floor, make decisions and execute his passes to create open shots for teammates.
The final piece of the offensive puzzle is the shooting. Ukic shot 29.4 percent from three on 7.3 attempts per game, doing so on a rather difficult shot diet, with most of his attempts coming off the dribble.
The positive indicator is that he wasn't simply used as a spot-up shooter, with Croatia running off-screen plays for him, and he did a good job shooting off movement in those situations, indicating some versatility in his shooting profile.
The off-the-dribble shooting, however, wasn’t at the same level, with Ukic making only 24 percent of his three-point attempts off the dribble.
It was also noticeable how he struggled to create separation or enough elevation on his mid-range jumpers to avoid defenders contesting his shots, and even on the open looks he got, he wasn’t able to decelerate quickly enough, seemingly always shooting off balance.
There are still positive indicators in his shooting profile, particularly his diverse shot diet and his ability to shoot off the catch with compact, repeatable mechanics, but at this point, Ukic has a clear drive-first, pass-second profile, with the jump shot still under development.
Defense
Despite not being the most physically imposing player, Ukic did a very good job defensively. He was a pesky point-of-attack defender who consistently pressured ball-handlers, forcing them into turnovers and frequently poking the ball away from them.
Ukic averaged 2.6 steals per game, with many of those takeaways coming directly from the pressure he applied to opposing ball-handlers. He has long arms and active hands that allow him to pick pockets and immediately turn those steals into offense.
He is also quick enough on his feet to stay in front of opponents, contain penetration and cover drives all the way to the rim, where he can contest shots. This ability to both generate takeaways and cover opposing guards as an on-ball defender made Ukic a valuable two-way contributor throughout the tournament.
Outlook
Ukic was named MVP in North Macedonia, not only because he led Croatia to the Division B title or because of his outstanding individual production.
He was also one of the most consistent players throughout the tournament, scoring at least 17 points in every game and being the defining factor for a Croatia team that went undefeated on its way to the U16 title.
After a 2025 in which the country played in Division B in all three Youth EuroBasket tournaments, this summer has proven to be a successful step toward restoring Croatia to the highest levels of play, with the U20 team finishing seventh in its first year back in the top flight and now the U16 team securing a return to Division A in 2027.
Next summer, Croatia will look not only to avoid relegation, but also to return to contender status in all age groups.
After his performance in North Macedonia, you can expect Ukic to be a major factor in this process in the coming years.
FIBA