Mussini: Italy will be better at U19 Worlds than at U18 Euros

REGGIO EMILIA (2015 FIBA U19 World Championship) - Italy featured one of the most dynamic backcourts at the 2014 U18 European Championship as Federico Mussini and Diego Flaccador guided them to a sixth-place finish and clinched the country's first appearance at the FIBA U19 World Championship since 1995. 

Mussini, however, thinks that Italy will be much better at the U19 Worlds taking place in Crete from 27 June-5 July.

"The team in Greece will be for sure better," said Mussini, who was named to the U18 European Championship All-Tournament Team as the tournament's leading scorer. 

But Italy were playing the U18 European Championship without wing man Daniel Donzelli, guard Andrea La Torre and power forward Pierfrancesco Oliva. When Italy did have Donzelli and La Torre, they showed how strong they could be by winning the 2014 Albert Schweitzer Tournament.

“We are very talented without Oliva so with him we will be more talented too. Because of this we know we can do great things and we showed it in Germany," pointed out the 1.82m guard who turns 19 on 12 March.

Mussini and company hope to display the same ability in Crete. And coach Andrea Capobianco's men are going to Greece with a lofty goal.

"The goal is to win. We need to play in an unselfish way and always stay together in both good and bad moments," said Mussini.

He knows he will play a leading role for the Italians.

"I want to be the leader of the team and be an example for my teammates by the way I play and by the energy I put on the court in every game. That is my goal," he added.

Mussini has taken a big step since the U18 European Championship. He is playing for the professional team of his home town club Grissin Bon Reggio Emelia, averaging 4.3 points in the Serie A and 8.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in the club's 10 games in the Eurocup.

The next step is the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship, an event in which Mussini cannot wait to participate. 

"To play a World Championship is a dream. It is the most important competition for the players of my age. So I feel very proud of our team and what we did," he said. 

I really look forward to playing with him again because last summer was incredible and we want to repeat it. - Mussini 

For Mussini, playing for Italy also means a reunion with Flaccadori, with whom he combined to average 38.7 points at last summer's U18 European Championship in Konya, Turkey.

The two players are more than just a pair of talented guards. They are also friends. 

And the next step for Mussini and his band of brothers is to show they are even better than last summer.

FIBA