I will try to do something different and new: I will pretend to be a general manager, who has the task of building a team which is composed of the best Italian players Under 18. In this game I will not consider economic constraints, but I will choose the 11 best players that I think will guarantee me a successful team in the future taking into account the growth prospects of the players.
Without a doubt the first players to be chosen are the playmakers, so let's start with these:
Nicolò Basile (PG, 190 cm, Fulgor Forlì, 1995): he is a very interesting player and I think he has a lot of potential to become a good playmaker in the coming years, he in addition to have good technical skills has also an excellent physical structure. Unfortunately, at the senior level he still had no luck and in Forlì (which plays the second Italian League) he has not had a lot of space but I think that next year he can become a good backup point guard for a team that does not aim to the promotion as Forlì. At youth level Basile has always made the difference, such as the NIJT 2011-2012 that took place in Rome, where he showed all his talent and he ended the tournament with 13.5 points and 5 assists per game
Federico Mussini (PG, 180 cm, Trenkwalder Reggio Emilia, 1996): is one of the Italian top player as demonstrated by the great European Under-16 Championship that he has played this summer where he was named best playmaker of the competition thanks to 14.6 points and 2 assists per game. He is an atypical player because he does not seem to have the physique to be able to play at a high level but when he moves on the field, all doubts disappear: Mussini has a great ability to understand the game and this thing allows him to anticipate the movements of his opponents. In addition, he, as well as being a great assist man, is a great scorer and he prefers playing in speed and open field situation and, at least but not last, he also has very high percentage shot from 3-point (52,2 % at the last U16 European Championship). I'm curious to see him against the Pros because for him this challenge will not be easy but I believe that with his intelligence he will find a way to make the difference.
Salvatore Forte (PG, 196 cm, Stella Azzurra, 1995): I believe that in every team there should be a specialist in three-point shots and in our team will be Forte. He played a great NIJT 2012 in Rome with 10 points per game and a 40% percentage in three-point shot and he gives the impression of being able to continue growing and improve his game. He, besides being a shooter from long range, can be an excellent playmaker because he has all the characteristics to be able to do it: good vision of the court, good ability to pass the ball but he must grow in terms of leadership and improve his defense.
Diego Flaccadori (PG, 192 cm, Bluorobica Bergamo, 1996): is without any doubt the most talented playmaker of our team and he has very large margins for improvement. The first time I saw him play I was impressed by his creativity and his ability to be able to do whatever he thought: very accurate passages, delicious ball handling skills and a good propensity to score. Whatever he does, he does it with style and his plays are never trivial and it is a pleasure to watch him play. This summer he played a good European Championship Under 16 scoring 9 points per game with the 43% from 3 points. The only question I have is that he has a role not yet clearly defined and with his growth, if he wants to succeed at the highest level, he must be able to effectively defend against guards and playmakers without difference.
Andrea La Torre (PG/G, 202 cm, Stella Azzurra, 1997): he is the rising star of Italian basketball and I can’t bet on him in our team. If we talk about talent or physical aspects, there are other players at his level with the same age and now he’s able to make the difference even when he plays against opponents older than him. At just 16 years he has already played twice the NIJT and this year at the Qualification Round of Rome he scored 10 points per game with many minutes on the parquet. These signs tell me that he could be a real top player but I think he needs to work a lot on the defensive aspects of his game like footwork or defense readings.
Pierfrancesco Oliva (G, 202 cm Virtus Siena, 1996): is one of the most interesting talents of Italian basketball and I am convinced that if he will have a bit more luck with injuries he will have a good career in the Pro-series. This summer he was the leader of the Italian National Team U16 in the European Championships but an ankle injury knocked him out in the quarterfinals and he could not play the semifinal which was lost from Italy. A real shame, because he until that moment had scored 14 points per game with 9 rebounds and 3 assists. He is a very versatile player: he is able to attack the basket with the dribble, is a discreet player in the area and he has the ability to jump really high so much so that in the slam dunk contest is always one of the best. My hope is that he will be able to find continuity in his game and I'm sure it can be very important weapon in our roster.
Simone Fontecchio (G, 200 cm, Virtus Bologna, 1995): in comparison with players of our team, he’s a very well known player because he has already played some matches in Lega A with Virtus Bologna being on court with an average of 8 minutes per game. Physically and technically he is already able to compete with american players and his only lack is the experience, but since I'm talking about a 18 year old player I think this thing is normal. During the Rome’s NIJT 2012 he did some good things and he was the best Italian player of the competition with 19,5 points and 5 rebounds per game. With him on our team, I'm sure I have a very strong player in attack and he is able to score many points always but above all he is a leader and a reference point for his teammates because he has already done a lot of high-level experience.
Nicola Akele (G, 198 cm, Reyer Venezia, 1995): is one of my favourite Italian players because I think that his potentially is devastating. He has extraordinary physical qualities: long arms, explosive legs and very fast hands and in many situations he becomes unstoppable and in addition to having physical abilities out of the norm is technically very strong because he can make basket in any way. The main problem appears to be his location in a defined role because at the moment he has the physique and the movements of a power forward but his future is to be guard. Unfortunately, in this first part of the season he's had to stay outside the court for a medical problem but it seems that in the coming weeks he can start putting his talent on the parquet.
Daniel Donzelli (F, 200 cm, Casalpusterlengo, 1996): he's a really tough player and he’s complete in almost all the aspects. He is a fascinating player under the physical aspect because he can effectively play different roles depending on the situation: he has the weight and height to play under the basket at the same time he has quick feet to play like a small forward. Donzelli is a player that during a game does not suffer from lapses in concentration and he is able to make a contribution in any situation because he’s a good scorer and, above all, he is a great rebounder. During the last European Under-16 he scored 14 points and captured 10 rebounds per game, while in the last NIJT in Rome he scored 13 points with 6 rebounds per game. I think he's a player absolutely necessary in our team because he's a reliable player and the only question that I have is the psychological aspect and his leadership skills.
Valerio Cucci (F, 203 cm, Stella Azzurra, 1995): is a player who can make a difference under the basket not because of his natural talent but for his aggressiveness and his physical power. He has the ability to always be in the right place at the right time and rarely fails his offensive choices: he is good in the low post moves, he can use very well the pivot foot and his shot from medium distance will improve with training. His main ability is to take rebounds and especially offensive rebounds as for example he did in NIJT of Rome with 9 rebounds per game and 4,5 of this in offense. In the next year he could be a really interesting player if he becomes definitely a “3”, because he has all the skills to do this.
Lorenzo Benvenuti (C, 206 cm, Don Bosco Livorno, 1995): will be the only true Center of our team and I'm sure he's a player who can give the team a great contribution. He is physically a very solid player and defensively he can be a factor with his big size but he is effective also in attack, where with his post moves can make in trouble his opponents. Benvenuti this season is going quite well in DNB with 6 points and 3 rebounds in just 13 minutes per game and I'm sure he can be a protagonist with the Italian National team.
Photo: FIBA Europe / Robertas Dackus
