By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After recently reducing available players to 13, the selector of the senior national team of Italy, Gianmarco Pozzecco cut one more player, Davide Casarin of Umana Reyer Venice, to settle on the 12 players on the final roster for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Puerto Rico.
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In the first prep game and the only friendly fixture at home, Italy defeated Georgia in Trento’s Il T Quotidiano Arena on Sunday.
“We chose the 12 players making the trip for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament. It was far from an easy decision because Davide Casarin is a great talent and he would have deserved to stay with us,” Pozzecco revealed and explained after the game.
Italy’s final roster
- Marco Spissu (Casademont Zaragoza)
- Nico Mannion (Openjobmetis Varese)
- Awudu Abass (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)
- Stefano Tonut (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)
- Danilo Gallinari (Milwaukee Bucks)
- Nicolo Melli (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)
- Giampaolo Ricci (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)
- Giordano Bortolani (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)
- Guglielmo Caruso (EA7 Emporio Armani Milan)
- Achille Polonara (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)
- Alessandro Pajola (Virtus Segafredo Bologna)
- John Petrucelli (Germani Brescia)
Competing for a ticket to the Olympic Games in San Juan from July 2 to a possible Final on July 7, the team coached by Pozzecco must rank over Bahrain, Cote d’Ivoire, Lithuania, Mexico, and Puerto Rico to enter Group C of the preliminary round of the Olympic Games. Waiting for the winner of the OQT, the United States, Serbia, and South Sudan are already placed in the group.