The Italy of basketball is an experiment that works

Once the summons were announced, there were even those who grumbled. Comment from the average user on social media: “Okay, we’re already qualified for the World Cup, but that’s how we’re going to make a fool of ourselves”. And instead. The Italian national basketball team demonstrates that you can be young and beautiful, cynical and experimental, aware and dreamy. It is the new masterpiece of Gianmarco Pozzecco, which after an anthology European Championship closes the qualifications for the most prestigious tournament with a bang. And in some ways the feat is even more remarkable: it is one thing to be able to let mature basketball players, accustomed to the Euroleague or NBA stages, play to death; quite another to repeat itself, injecting that same spirit into a group of novice kids. Because this was the Azzurri who won 72-68 at home to reigning European and World champions Spain on Sunday.

There had been positive signs a few days earlier. But if the old guard (Mannion-Spissu-Tessitori, 60 points out of 85 total) had thought about pulling the cart in the success against Ukraine, an unprecedented script was staged in Extremadura. Protagonists never seen, clutch player unexpected. Over all William Caruso, agile center of Pallacanestro Varese with 19 points and 7 rebounds. AND David Casarin, son of Reyer Venezia school in the art, who on his absolute debut in the national team reached double figures in just eleven minutes on the parquet. The first is born in 1999, the other a 2003. Severini, Bortolani, Visconti, Diouf, Woldetensae shone with them: they are all between 21 and 26 years old, the most experienced wears the Tortona shirt. No one, in Azzurro, had played more than ten total games. Spissu and the others limited themselves to being broody hen, because the machine spun like a pleasure.

For this reason, when at the end of the game he says that “my boys play with their hearts”, Poz must be understood. It is a rhetoric abused at any latitude of sport, but this Italy is well worth an exception. Otherwise it is not explained, data in hand. The last success against Spain dates back to 2015 and bore the sumptuous signature of the NBA superstars (Bargnani, Belinelli, Gallinari). Today everything has changed. This last match will have had the value of a test also for Sergio Scariolo’s Roja, already first in the standings and capable of defending the goal difference in the sprint (amen). But between the two teams of the future, complete with +15 at the start of the fourth quarter, ours did better. Considering the depth of the Iberian basketball movement, this is no small detail.

And now? Between now and August 25, it will only be preparation for the Philippines-Japan-Indonesia World Cup. Already armored with two shifts to spare. So for this last qualifying round, due to technical choice or force majeure, the coach was able to look around. And save the trouble for the various Pajola, Fontecchio, Tonut, Polonara, Melli, Datome. In short, the praetorians of Eurobasket. Many of them will be at their last big chance after years of honorable career in the blue. Not to mention the double American dream: Danilo Gallinari, if he recovers from the serious stop to the ACL, and Paolo Banchero, if he actually decides to embrace the national team.

Pozzecco will have to choose twelve. And being undermined by abundance would certainly be a scenario for which to sign. Certainly, the new recruits are the first to know: few, perhaps none, will be part of the great expedition. But in the event of other people’s injuries, unforeseen events or last-minute defections, Poz already knows he can count on a tailor-made gold reserve. In the image and likeness of a coach who by dint of grit and conviction almost surprised Europe. He who knows the world, soon.