Cedevita Olimpija’s Senior Team Begins Preparations for the 2025/26 Season
On Monday, Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team traveled to Kranjska Gora for training camp, where the Dragons will undergo their first nine-day preparation cycle for the new 2025/26 competitive season. The Ljubljana squad had already officially entered the new season between Wednesday and Saturday, when the players completed all necessary medical examinations and at the same … Continued
On Monday, Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team traveled to Kranjska Gora for training camp, where the Dragons will undergo their first nine-day preparation cycle for the new 2025/26 competitive season. The Ljubljana squad had already officially entered the new season between Wednesday and Saturday, when the players completed all necessary medical examinations and at the same time trained individually on the Stožice court.
The coaching staff welcomed seven members of the senior team and two promising young players, who will be actively involved in preparations from day one. The following gathered on the small arena court: Jaka Blažič, DJ Stewart, Žiga Daneu, Lovro Gnjidić, Joseph Girard III, Umoja Gibson, Luka Brajković, Cameron Houindo, and Martin Tonejc.
The absence of several national team players is due to international commitments — Aleksej Nikolić, Rok Radović, and Miha Cerkvenik are spending the summer with Slovenia’s national team ahead of EuroBasket 2025. Nikos Chougkaz is preparing for the European Championship with Greece, Thomas Kennedy will represent Canada at the AmeriCup, while David Škara is playing for Croatia in the World Cup pre-qualifiers.
The team will head to Kranjska Gora with a slightly changed roster, as Niko Šare, Noa Škrobot, and Luka Santiago Stojić from Cedevita Junior will join the Dragons, along with Žiga Dimec, whose experience will help ensure a smooth training process during the ongoing national team activities of the other Dragons.
Before the start of preparations, there were also staffing changes in the coaching and medical support staff. The role of head physiotherapist was taken over by Borut Černilogar, a member of Slovenia’s senior national team staff. Longtime physiotherapist Rok Žagar stepped down from his active role with the team but will continue to work with the club as an external collaborator. Černilogar will be supported by Jakob Jesih, while Blaž Janežič will continue his work with youth categories.
The medical team of the senior squad has also been strengthened by two new doctors, Rok Slokar and Timon Zupanc. There has also been a change in the team manager position — Tevž Ružič has stepped down, and will be replaced in the new season by Matic Zupanc.
The Dragons are therefore ready for a new chapter, beginning with clear direction, energy, and the desire for successful preparations for a season that will bring battles in all competitions under the Slovenian Basketball Federation, the EuroCup, and the ABA League.
