Lagana learning from brother's winning experience

ROME (FIBA U16 European Championship 2016) - Basketball has always been a part of Matteo Lagana's life. And the Italy point guard comes into the FIBA U16 European Championship 2016 with the dream of matching the feat of one of his brothers. 

Marco Lagana played for Italy at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2009 and then the FIBA U20 European Championships in 2012 and 2013, winning the title in 2013. It was Italy's first U20 crown since topping the podium in 1992.

"He won the U20 European Championship and I am very proud of him for that," Matteo said about his older brother. "He is an example for me in everything in my life."

Marco Lagana helped Italy win the FIBA U20 European Championship 2013.

Matteo is the third Lagana brother to be infected with basketball. 

"I have had a basketball in my hands since I was born because my family works in a basketball team and I grew up on the court," said Lagana, referring to them working with Lumaka basketball club in Reggio Calabria. 

While Marco is playing for Serie A side Pallacanestro Cantu, the 25-year-old Luca Lagana never reached the upper levels of Italian basketball but is still playing. 

Matteo said it would be great to join his brother Marco as a European champion. "I would pay everything to reach the sky and win the cup. But I prefer not to think about it too much."

The focus instead will first be on Group A with Latvia, Spain and Sweden in Radom from 12-20 August.

"It is a difficult group with Spain and Latvia being very strong, and Sweden can be a surprise," Lagana said. "We must be very concentrated to play well."

"For many of us this is the first time in an important international competition and nobody has much experience. But we will certainly fight in every moment." - Lagana

Lagana was part of the Italy team that finished 10th at last summer's FIBA U16 European Championship. But that is not good enough for this year's team, Lagana said. 

"We want to do better than last year. It will be difficult, but we will try," said the native of Melito Di Porto Salvo in Reggio Calabria. "We must play with great intensity and not be scared."

Lagana and Nicolo Dellosto were the two bottom-level 2000-born players on last year's team. And Lagana thinks that exposure will help. 

"Last year was an important experience for me and Nico even though we didn't play too much. But we got a feeling about the excitement and we know how it will be now," said Lagana, who averaged 1.1 points and 1.0 assists last summer.

Italy have not seen a lot of success at the cadets level with the last title coming in 1991 - though they did reach the Semi-Finals in 2012 and 2013 and finished fourth twice. 

"For many of us this is the first time in an important international competition and nobody has much experience. But we will certainly fight in every moment," Lagana said. 

The 1.92m Lagana is expected to be one of the leaders of the Italian team along with Dellosto, Mattia Palumbo and Omar Dieng.

"I expect that all these players will be important if we want to reach as high as we want," Lagana said. "I don't know all of the other teams, but I think that Spain, Serbia, Croatia, France and Lithuania will be the best teams. And I hope that Italy does better."

FIBA