Eight new faces in the black and white family
After having already seen them on the field in official matches, treading the Cittadella pitch, it's time for introductions for our eight new athletes too!
Here are the statements of the manager responsible for the youth sector Andrea Ablatico :
Every year, the draft requirements change the rosters of all the youth sectors. We bid farewell to the 2005 draft, which was probably the best ever for Derthona Basket. Players who have left us will make a name for themselves in the national B league ( Baldi , Errica , Tambwe , Conte , and Tandia ) or in the interregional B league ( Bellinaso R. and Moro ) have brought us unthinkable results, demonstrating the quality of our coaching staff. Replacing them will be practically impossible, if you think in terms of on-court results. Our philosophy has led us to choose players with promising prospects, but above all, those who have shown a desire to embrace our project.
Edoardo Aprile , a tough and versatile 190cm guard born in 2005 , has arrived from Basket Roma . With a Serie C championship under his belt with Lazio, I'm sure he'll be the perfect glue to bring together last season's veterans and the new arrivals.
Giacomo Brizzi , a 202cm power forward born in 2006 from Stars Basket Bologna, has arrived . He was the last cut from the U18 national team this summer, and like him, Ousmane Cherif Cissè (another 2006, 200cm from Lanciano) will need a period of adaptation to this level, but they will keep us at the top of both the Interregional B and the U19 Eccellenza. Leading this group (for once, we're making an exception by including a senior) will be Nicolò Gatti . The 1991 forward, who grew up in our youth sector, after a decade spent wandering around Italy's Serie B, will enrich our coaching staff and bring his experience to bear on the court for our Interregional B team.
We then decided to work more on the "low" years to provide perspective for the coming seasons. The Under 17 Eccellenza will be the group we will focus on for a three-year project with high aspirations. For this reason, we have added, from GGS Cuneo, the 2008 point guard Edoardo Di Meo (an international teammate of our Bresciani and Bellinaso W.), 186cm tall, and the English international Rufus Wilkinson (a 2-meter forward born in 2009). I have high expectations for them, as I do for our research in the area. This research has led us to sign the two Casale players, Andrei Flueras (a 201cm power forward born in 2008) and Gabriele Dusio (a 2-meter center born in 2009), while from the consolidated collaboration with BEA Chieri we have arrived the 190cm winger Joel Obakhavbaye , born in 2009. We have been following them for years and I am confident in their potential.
Our work involves, where possible, having Piedmont players at the center of the project. It would not make sense otherwise for a youth sector structured like ours that looks to the future and to the enhancement of the territory.
As I said elsewhere, we do not set limits or objectives, if we talk about results. Working on young people presupposes patience at the root and it cannot be a few defeats or a few victories that change the development work of individual players.
Perspective is everything. I’m curious to see what kind of season this will be.”
