Are Italy the hottest team in town after sweep in Athens?

MIES (Switzerland) - Italy look like one of the hottest World Cup-bound national teams as they remain undefeated in exhibition games leading up to the main event.

Don't forget to keep up with all of the preparation game action leading up to the World Cup in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia that gets underway in just two weeks!

Italy sweep Aegean Acropolis with win over host

Are Italy the hottest team in the world right now?

After winning the Trentino Cup and now sweeping the Aegean Acropolis Tournament with impressive wins over Serbia and Greece (74-70), they might just be the most in-form team at the moment.

Italy led most of the way through the game, even though Greece were always close on their heels. Even as the visiting Azzurri built up a 10-point lead in the final quarter, the host refused to go away quietly. Konstantinos Papanikolaou knocked down a three-pointer to get Greece within two points with just over 2 seconds left in the game, but there would be no miracle in OAKA.

Simone Fontecchio led Italy - and all scorers in this game - with 17 points, while Nicolo Melli chipped in 13 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.

"These are still friendlies but we are happy with the win and above all with the way we played. We defended, used the right amount of aggression and got the ball rolling effectively," said Fontecchio.

Italy leave Athens with a perfect 2-0 record in the Aegean Acropolis Tournament, leaving Greece with two straight losses at home.

Cote d'Ivoire win one for the fans

After winning two games in Portugal for the Torneio Internacional Caracao de Viana, Cote d'Ivoire played their first tune-up game at home in Abidjan. In the first of back-to-back games, the Elephants beat Guinea, 73-67.

Upcoming

Spain, USA, and Slovenia will also be playing from August 11-13 to celebrate the 100th anniversary Federacion Espanola de Baloncesto in Malaga.

Germany and Canada could square off again in Hamburg on Sunday at the Basketball SuperCup. Host Germany will first face China and Canada will face New Zealand on August 12. The winners will then face each other on August 13 for the Final, while the defeated squads will battle for third place.

Australia will also play their first official tuneup games against World Cup bound national teams as they tip-off the "Boomers vs the World" event on August 14 in Melbourne. The other teams involved are Venezuela, Brazil, and South Sudan.

There are many more games set to take place in this entire week, so make sure to stay updated on all of the preparation plans for all teams with this handy tracker.

 
FIBA