Two veteran centers, Ante Tomic and Alen Omic, are set to square off once again on Wednesday night when Joventut Badalona welcomes Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana for their Round 12 clash.
Omic's 125 EuroCup games played ranks sixth all time and includes a season with Joventut. He is the EuroCup's runaway all-time leader in two-pointers made (518), as well as in offensive (292), defensive (536) and total rebounds (828).
Omic made his competition debut in 2013. Tomic, now 35, first played in the EuroCup in the 2020-21 after more than a decade in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
Interestingly, since that time the two players have both averaged a PIR of 15.4, with Tomic having an advantage in scoring (12.7 ppg.) and assists (3.3 apg.), while Omic is doing a better job on the glass (6.7 rpg.).
In those three season, the two centers have matched up three times. In those game, not only has Tomic fared better, but he and Joventut ended up victorious each time Omic has been on the other side.
The latest of their three head-to-head games came in Round 3 this season when Tomic and Joventut outplayed Omic and Cedevita. Joventut celebrated a 78-100 win in the Slovenian capital with Tomic collecting 14 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 17 minutes. Omic had just 3 points, with 8 rebounds and 3 assists, in 22 minutes.
The two first went head-to-head twice in the 2020-21 season, when Omic was with Mincidelice JL Bourg en Bresse. Tomic shined with 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in Joventut's road win, and collected 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in a home game. Meanwhile, Omic had 6 points and 5 rebounds in the home loss, while posting 10 points and 7 rebounds in Badalona.
Now, Omic returns to Badalona with hope to change his fortunes and pick up his first win against Tomic, upsetting his former team.
