By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Luka Samanic was called up by the senior national team of Croatia, heading to the next games in the 2025 EuroBasket Qualifiers.
Samanic, 24, remains inactive at the club level, since leaving Fenerbahce Beko and returning to Croatia for personal reasons, before the official start of the 2024-25 campaign.
Set to return to action, he was included in the preliminary list of 21 players for two games versus Bosnia-Herzegovina on November 21 in Zagrer and November 24 in Sarajevo.
The Croatian Basketball Federation, HKS, announced the selections of Josip Sesar on Wednesday.
Croatia’s preliminary list of 21 players
- Ivan Bogdanovic (SC Derby)
- Luka Bozic (Hiopos Lleida)
- Danko Brankovic (FC Bayern Munich)
- Filip Bundovic (Cibona)
- Dario Dreznjak (Napoli)
- Mateo Dreznjak (Buducnost VOLI)
- Mario Hezonja (Real Madrid)
- Antonio Jordano (Split)
- Martin Junakovic (Sibenka)
- Borna Kapusta (Split)
- Filip Kruslin (SIG Strasbourg)
- Kresimir Ljubicic (Split)
- Roko Prkacin (Nanterre 92)
- Marko Ramljak (Zadar)
- Roko Rogic (Cibona)
- Michael Ruzic (Joventut Badalona)
- Jaleen Smith (Bahcesehir Koleji)
- Luka Samanic
- Niko Sare (Cedevita Junior)
- David Skara (Split)
- Ivan Vranes (Al Sharjah)
Due to club obligations in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, Real Madrid’s Mario Hezonja and FC Bayern Munich’s Danko Brankovic are doubtful to play in the first part of the home-and-away series.
Heading to two games against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia is at 1-1 in Group E of the Qualifiers, tied with its next opponent and one game behind fellow contender France. The fourth team of the group, Cyprus has been awarded an automatic berth as one of the four EuroBasket hosts, leaving the two remaining tickets as the prize in a battle between the other three countries.