High-scoring Fontecchio set to spearhead Italy's very dangerous squad

ROME (Italy) - An Italy team that came with an eyelash of playing for a spot on the podium at one of the most competitive FIBA EuroBaskets of all time last summer will now focus on and even bigger tournament, the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

The Italians have announced a 16-man squad for the event, with nine of the players from last year's team that fell 93-85 after overtime to France in the EuroBasket Quarter-Finals included.

Simone Fontecchio, Nicolo Melli, Achille Polonara, Alessandro Pajola, Nico Mannion, and Stefano Tonut were all linchpins for the Italians when they won the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Belgrade to reach the Tokyo Games.

Fontecchio, coming off his rookie season in the NBA with the Utah Jazz, underlined his status as one of the great shooters in Europe at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade in 2021.

 
He then led Italy to the Quarter-Finals of the Olympics, averaging 19.3 points per game.

Fontecchio was again Italy's leading scorer at last year's EuroBasket when pouring in an average of 19.4 points per game while making a blistering 45.1 percent (23 of 51) attempts from behind the arc.

Melli, in the national team since EuroBasket 2013 and a leading player in Europe, was second in scoring and rebounding, and third in assists, on last year's team.

Fontecchio (left) and Melli (right) helped Italy beat Nikola Jokic and Serbia at EuroBasket 2022

Another member of Italy's Olympic team who became an important piece to the Italian puzzle last summer is Marco Spissu, the explosive guard who erupted for 22 points in the Round of 16 upset of Serbia.

Spissu, among the 16 men in the World Cup squad, drilled six of nine three-pointers against Serbia in the famous Italian victory.

He was poised to be the hero against France as well after connecting on four of five shots from deep and scoring 20 points but Italy missed key free throws down the stretch to allow France to force overtime and Les Bleus then prevailed.

Luigi Datome, the Italy captain who missed the Olympics because of the need to rest and recuperate from injury, and Giampaolo Ricci were also in last year's team and have been included.

Datome has been a member of the Italy team since EuroBasket 2007.

If all nine players from the EuroBasket team are favorites to make the trip to the Philippines, coach Gianmarco Pozzecco has three spots to fill.

Highly-rated youngster Guglielmo Caruso, a 2.05m (6ft 9in) power forward/center coming off a great season at Varese has also been named. Caruso showed so much promise this past season that Olimpia Milano coach Ettore Messina has signed him.

Point guard Matteo Spagnolo (Dolomiti Energia Trentino) and guard/small forward Gabriele Procida (Alba Berlin) are in with a good chance of making the World Cup roster.

Big man Mouhamet Diouf (Rio Breogan), guard Riccardo Visconti (Carpegna Prosciutto Pesaro) and power forward/center Luca Severini (Bertram Yacht Tortona) are also in the squad.

FIBA