Coach Cavina: «Morale is high»
TORTONA. On Sunday, Derthona, third in the ranking, faces Moncada Agrigento at 18pm at PalaOltrepo, who are second in the West group of A2. Coach Demis Cavina talks about how the Lions arrive at this match after a score of 4 victories in the last five matches, while Agrigento, after losing to Agropoli and Biella in the last match, won against Roma at home.
Coach Cavina, how does Derthona arrive at the match against Agrigento?
«The morale of the group is high despite the fact that in recent weeks there have been numerous setbacks which fortunately have not undermined the continuity of daily work. We recovered Bianchi while both Iannilli and Marks are still in the pits. In this situation we should better understand the importance of personal management of the match, specifically the management of fouls and physical energy"
How did you prepare for this challenge that is worth second place?
«First of all, not thinking about the value of the match for the rankings, but limiting ourselves to studying the opponent who we respect as a roster and for the quality of the game he expresses. The competitiveness of the training was guaranteed by the contribution of our juniors, who were increasingly included in the group and lately ready to give their contribution even when called upon in championship matches".
How has Derthona changed compared to the first leg lost at the last minute in Agrigento?
«As with any such young group, mistakes are needed to grow and I must say that, thanks to the determination with which we approach training and the work of all the staff, we make fewer of them but we can still improve a lot. Compared to the first leg we have some more certainty in the offensive half of the field, while we are looking for better defensive continuity."
In what situations does Moncada become dangerous?
«Agrigento is based on the solidity of the group of Italians, the same one that last year surprisingly led the Sicilian team to compete for promotion with Turin. The main architect of this ride is coach Ciani, who has managed over time to create an offensive system capable of running at very high pace, but at the same time punishing every slightest mistake even when playing with a full defense. The two new foreign additions have brought that physicality which complements the perimeter danger which was already the main weapon of last season."
How is the growth process of the young people going and are you satisfied with the performance of the more experienced ones?
«I reiterate the great satisfaction in seeing the growth of our young people, but I am even happier not to see them satisfied. For many of them this is a great opportunity and it must be our duty to give them all the support to continue to improve. The most experienced players are playing a key role in their growth process. In fact, I am lucky enough to coach "excellent examples" even before "excellent players" and this considerably simplifies the staff's work."
The conditions of the team. Sebastiano Bianchi has fully recovered, while both Andrea Iannilli and Derrick Marks remained in the pits. The Roman big man underwent a new MRI on Thursday, which highlighted an almost complete recovery from the micro fracture of the cuboid of his left ankle, while the bone edema in the medial compartment remains. Also on Thursday, Marks had an ultrasound performed on his thigh flexor which highlighted the persistence of a small effusion, even though the small muscle tear was completely healed.
