Mannion, Pajola included as Italy continue look to the future with 24-player long list
MILAN (Italy) - Italy step up their preparations for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers with the confirmation of their initial 24-player squad.
MILAN (Italy) - Italy step up their preparations for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers with the confirmation of their initial 24-player squad.
2020 NBA Draft pick Nico Mannion is included alongside in-form Alessandro Pajola, who was MVP in a SuperCup success for Virtus Bologna earlier this season, with the duo leading the next generation having competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Italy also call upon the experience of the likes of Michele Vitali - leading scorer during the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers - and Amedeo Tessitori, who are likely to again play important roles amongst the younger contingent.
💙 Riecco gli Azzurri 💙
— Italbasket (@Italbasket) November 10, 2021
“Abbiamo tanti appuntamenti importanti davanti a noi, a cominciare dalle qualificazioni al prossimo Mondiale.”
Ci eravamo lasciati con questa frase del Capitano, @nikmelli.
Questi sono i 24 Azzurri convocati nella long list dal CT @RomeoSacchetti 👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/P57LrO2srL
18-year-old Matteo Spagnolo made his Senior debut last year amongst five appearances during the Qualifiers, while there are also places for Mohamet Diouf and Davide Casarin, who also both competed at the FIBA U20 European Challengers this summer.
| Italy squad for the November window | ||||
| Nicola Akele | Davide Alviti | Tommaso Baldasso | Giordano Bortolani | Leonardo Candi |
| Davide Casarin | Mouhamet Diouf | Diego Flaccadori | Raphael Gaspardo | Alessandro Lever |
| Niccolo Mannion | Bruno Mascolo | Alessandro Pajola | Andrea Pecchia | Gabriele Procida |
| Michele Ruzzier | Matteo Spagnolo | Amedeo Tessitori | Stefano Tonut | Leonardo Tote |
| Mattia Udom | Riccardo Visconti | Michele Vitali | Alessandro Zanelli | |
Next year's FIBA EuroBasket 2022 co-hosts will host the Netherlands in Milan in their second game on November, 29, following their Group H opener against Russia in St Petersburg three days prior.
FIBA