Italian LegaDue 2011-2012

[boyd20]

I know, I started a thread for the past season but I stopped to update it after a while. This time I'll try to do my best to keep it updated.

This should be the most interesting season in years, since many teams are very competitive and aiming at the promotion and the league level is getting higher. Let's have a look to the teams:

Brindisi-Venezia-Veroli-Barcellona-Reggio Emilia are the main candidates to the promotion.

Scafati-Pistoia-Jesi-Verona are the "sleepers".

Forlì-Piacenza-Imola-Bologna should be looking for a safe position.

Brescia-Ostuni-Sant'Antimo are on paper the teams that should fight to avoid the relegation.

Most teams already completed their rosters, others are close to do it, while a few teams still have a lot to do. I will try to write down the rosters and fill them with the new additions.

[sagenas]

BasketLive.it provides information about rosters: http://www.basketlive.it/rosters/legadue-basket

As I've heard from one Italian scout, teams of LegaDue should be better and better. Some time ago Barcellona surprisingly signed M.Lukauskis who is candidate to play for Lithuanian national team and is very good and experienced player. When I asked that guy, what he thinks about it, he told me that even more players of his level will play in LegaDue in near future.

[GIANLUCA]

Brescia wil be the underdog !

[Jazz]

Anyone surprised that Mike Green went to Barcellona as well? Although LegaDue teams do seem to attract surprising players quite regularly.

[boyd20]

Anyone surprised that Mike Green went to Barcellona as well? Although LegaDue teams do seem to attract surprising players quite regularly.

Yes, because he played well as a starting PG for the team that went to the finals. But to say it all, some teams (Venezia, Barcellona, Veroli, Brindisi...) have a lot of money to spend, so there are foreign players in LegaDue earning more than others in Serie A (Lukauskis, KeeKee Clark just to name a few).

[sagenas]

Yes, because he played well as a starting PG for the team that went to the finals. But to say it all, some teams (Venezia, Barcellona, Veroli, Brindisi...) have a lot of money to spend, so there are foreign players in LegaDue earning more than others in Serie A (Lukauskis, KeeKee Clark just to name a few).

But foreigners limit in LegaDue is quite strict?

I wish luck for Lukauskis and hope that Barcellona will win and promote to 1st division.

[boyd20]

But foreigners limit in LegaDue is quite strict?

I wish luck for Lukauskis and hope that Barcellona will win and promote to 1st division.

Yes, it is.
The formula is: 2 US player + 1 European player + 1 foreigner holding an Italian passport.

Going to post the rosters and keep them updated, trying to establish the probable starting fives.

P.S. Lukauskis is a terrific signing, I expected him to play in some top European league! I really have no clue about his salary.

[GIANLUCA]

At the moment i forecast final between Venezia and Barcellona!

I always wonder why Maggioli prefered spent his career in Lega Due....couldn't he be an excellent back up in first band teams? (despite his recent not good experience in Virtus).

[boyd20]

At the moment i forecast final between Venezia and Barcellona!

I always wonder why Maggioli prefered spent his career in Lega Due....couldn't he be an excellent back up in first band teams? (despite his recent not good experience in Virtus).

Money, money, money!
He made a lot more money there in Legadue than many other players in Serie A.

[Jazz]

It seems like there is a fair bit of money in leagdue, why exactly is that? Do the teams get a lot of support? Have any of these teams overextended themselves financially?

[sagenas]

Mario West (from Nets) to Verona.

That Italian scout didn't lie me.... )) I'll keep looking forward to watching games of next season. And of course I'll root for my countrymen.

P.s. Lukauskis for sure is damn big signing, he's Euroleague level player and could help many teams (I'm not speaking about powerhouses but he can really help those teams which seek to advance to TOP 16). Many Lithuanians were surprised by him signing there after quite good season...but he is getting older and older so money may be the reason. And I think for his family it will be fun to live in Italy.

[boyd20]

Sant'Antimo signed its first foreign player ever at a professional level, it's SG Folarin Campbell (Telekom Bonn, 13.7 ppg).

Brindisi signed veteran SG Jimmie Lee "Snap" Hunter, last season in LegaDue with Scafati (15.5 ppg) after playing 5 straight seasons in Spanish ACB.

[boyd20]

First two foreign players at professional level for Ostuni:

- Aaron Johnson, a tiny (5-7) rookie PG who led the NCAA in assists (7.7 assists per game) last season with UAB;

- Mareks Jurevicus, a Latvian forward who spent the first part of the past season with Liepajas (22.1 ppg in Latvian league, 19.1 ppg in Baltic league) and the second in LegaDue with Verona (12.3 ppg). He's a 3-pt specialist (40.8% with Verona).

[boyd20]

Some other official movements...

- Newcomer Piacenza signed SF Dwayne Anderson (BC Gottingen), a 2nd team All-Eurocup selection last year (15.7 ppg + 6.3 rpg , 42% 3p in Eurocup). Quite a big deal, I really liked his game with his former team.

- Two significant moves made by Bologna that signed former Italian NT member and ACB player Andrea Pecile who will be the starting PG. They also signed veteran sharpshooter Brett Blizzard (who holds an Italian passport), among the top shooters of Serie A for years, who didnt play last season as he temporarily quit pro basketball. If back in shape, he could be a great signing.

[boyd20]

Two interesting moves for Imola.
They signed veteran PF Erik Daniels (Erie Bay Hawks, D-League - 15.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and PG-SG David Cournooh, among the top young (1990) players of the league (9.2 ppg) last season who arrives on loan from Siena.

Daniels was a Euroleague prospect after he had a great season in Serie A in 2006-2007 with Biella (16.8 ppg + 10.1 rpg) but he had a lot of off-court issues then, so he failed in Roma and went playing all over the world (Spain, Ukraine, Israel, Croatia, D-League), but when he's hot and focused he can win games.
Cournooh has a lot of personality, he's primarily a long-range shooter who can hit decisive treys, but lacks a definite position as he's basically an undersized SG.


Ostuni signed USA/Italian rookie center Dane DiLiegro (New Hampshire - 8.7 ppg + 8.2 rpg).

[sagenas]

Effe Biancoblu signed Lithuanian player Egidijus Dimša.

[boyd20]

Effe Biancoblu signed Lithuanian player Egidijus Dimša.

Fourth Lith of the league with Busma and veterans Lukauskis and Slanina.
Effe Biancoblu remains the only team that still has to sign both US players.

Piacenza signed veteran G/F C.C. Harrison, last season in LegaDue with Udine (15.5 ppg, 39.6%3p, 88.3% ft) and USA/Danish sharpshooter Alan Voskuil (18.4 ppg with 57.6% 3p with Bornova + 18.7 ppg with 41.5% 3p with Horsens)

[ArnoldPettybone]

Two significant moves made by Bologna that signed former Italian NT member and ACB player Andrea Pecile who will be the starting PG.

Could you elaborate on the new-old Fortitudo Bologna team? how did they suddenly had money to buy Ferrera's license and "jump" two leagues upwards?

[boyd20]

Could you elaborate on the new-old Fortitudo Bologna team? how did they suddenly had money to buy Ferrera's license and "jump" two leagues upwards?

It's the hot case of the summer. Not very easy to explain, indeed, but let's try.

The real Fortitudo, I mean the team that used to compete at high levels in both Italy and Europe, is not competing in any league after being kicked out last summer (a few days after the promotion in LegaDue) due to financial problems. That team ended its race at the end of 2009-2010 season and R.I.P..

Thereafter the owner (the responsible for the team's fall) acquired the license of a small team (Budrio) located near there and competing in Italian 4th division to move it to Bologna and create a brand new Fortitudo. This generated a lot of buzz and controversy among fans, since most of them felt that this was just a fake copy of the original Fortitudo and stopped to support.

The team that is currently competing in LegaDue named "Effe Biancoblu" is another team aiming at replacing the original Fortitudo. It's a club founded this summer in Bologna, after acquiring Ferrara's rights. Obviously, the hardcore and old fans of original Fortitudo refuse to support this team as they think it's just one more clumsy attempt to recreate their old team and not only they don't support it, they really see Effe Biancoblu as an insult to Fortitudo's history and traditions.

So, summing it up, real Fortitudo does not exist anymore, currently there are two teams pretending to replace it but none of them is really allowed to do it.
The largest part of the fans feels a lot closer to the team competing in the 4th division, though, while "Effe Biancoblu" has very few fans, mostly kids and guys that just recently came into basketball.

[GIANLUCA]

Thank you!
Eventually i understand something about Foritudo drama