Italy NT 2009

[TalkBasket]

Italian Olympian Luca Garri will attempt to make his country's national team for this summer's EuroBasket 2009 qualifying games after being named in a 12-strong squad for friendlies later this month against Algeria, Croatia and Iran.



Garri, 26, a silver-medal winner with Italy at the Athens Games four years ago, was the last man cut by Azzurri coach Carlo Recalcati before last summer's EuroBasket in Spain.



The 2.07m center played in 30 of Virtus Bologna's 34 games in Lega A this season and averaged six points and four rebounds in just over 15 minutes per contest.



Recalcati expects to add four more players - not including NBA duo Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli - to this list.



Garri and the other players will gather from May 18-25 in Roseto degli Abbruzzi, and then take on Iran on May 26 and 27 before going up against Algeria, Croatia and Iran again in an international tournament in Roseto degli Abbruzzi from May 28-31.



Italy's more established players will link up with the squad later this summer when Recalcati's team steps up its preparations for EuroBasket Division A games against Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Finland.



Italy squad for May friendlies: Michele Antonutti (202 cm., F, Snaidero Udine), Giorgio Boscagin (196, G/F, Cimberio Varese, Bruno Cerella (194, G/F, Mach 20 Potenza), Daniele Cinciarini (194, G, Angelico Biella), Luigi Da Tome (202, F, Legea Scafati), Tommaso Fantoni (203, F/C, Td Shop.It Livorno), Robert Fultz (188, PG Scavolini Spar Pesaro), Luca Garri, (207, C, La Fortezza Bologna), Marco Passera (181, PG, Cimberio Varese), Giuseppe Poeta (190, G, Siviglia Wear Teramo), Roberto Rullo (192, G, Aget Service Imola, Joel Zacchetti (208, F/C, Snaidero Udine).

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