After a four-years hiatus, the Cantù-Milan derby returns. It is a rivalry that’s not only deeply felt for geographical reasons but also for the historical reasons. In 1983, this matchup in Grenoble awarded the European title, for example. And there have been epic battles over the years, not just in the 1980s and 1990s. The game will be played in Desio, which has hosted several Olimpia home games in the past, and is currently Cantù’s home court, waiting for a return to the rebuilt Pianella arena. Olimpia approaches this game fatigued by late battles, a schedule made more challenging by absences. This morning, the possibility of using Nico Mannion with a mask to protect his fractured nose will be explored. Olimpia is chasing a win that could further improve the position in the standings; Cantù, on the other hand, is seeking a crucial win to after four consecutive losses. Erick Green, a highly experienced guard who will add depth and versatility to the guards, will make his debut. After the game in Desio, Olimpia will essentially leave for Dubai: a seven-hour flight to face next Tuesday’s game, again for the EuroLeague.

Tip-off time in Desio on Saturday, December 20th will be 20:00PM local time.

COACH BEPPE MANGONE – “Cantù is a team that can get on fire any time, based on the athleticism and talent of its guards, who are capable to attacck the rim and score from the perimeter at the same time. We will need to work well within our rules, playing with the right level of physicality paying particulr attention to the situation they can use to generate enthusiasm and momentum, like fastbreak points and offensive rebounds.”

CANTU’ OUTLOOK – Four Cantù players have practically always started so far: point guard Jacob Gilyard, guard Giordano Bortolani, forward Xavier Sneed, and center Oumar Ballo. Grant Basile and Josh Ajayi have alternated at the four-spot so far. This week, Cantù also replaced Jordan Bowden with Erick Green. Gilyard is the all-time college steals leader (he played at Richmond) and then in 2023, he the G-League in assists. He currently averages 10.9 points and 6.3 assists per game. Giordano Bortolani is a product of the Olimpia youth system. In his first year at Cantù, he is averaging 12.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Xavier Sneed, who formerly played in Brindisi and was in Israel last year, has been the key player so far, the most used (29.3 minutes), and the leading scorer (15.1 points per game). A physically powerful player, he averages 4.8 rebounds and is shooting well from three, 39.6 percent on 4.4 attempts. Center Oumar Ballo plays for the Mali national team and had a distinguished college career at Gonzaga, Arizona, and Indiana. In his first year as a professional, he averaged 9.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, shooting 65.6 percent from two. Standing 2.13, he is a strong offensive rebounder, averaging 3.5 offensive rebounds per game in 24 minutes on the court. Grant Basile is an Italian American who has also played for the national team. Born and raised in America, he played at Wright State and Virginia Tech before moving to Italy. He played a key role in the team’s promotion to Serie A. He currently averages 9.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Josh Ajayi is a Nigerian who played at South Alabama but has been in Europe since 2020. He currently averages 8.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Newcomer Erick Green is a veteran of European leagues: in Italy, he played at Siena, Treviso, and last year was in Napoli. He started this season in Lebanon, at Sagesse. He has shooting ability, experience, and versatility. The rotation is rounded out by point guard Andrea De Nicolao (3.7 points and 2.9 assists per game), who is also a dangerous shooter (45.0 percent from three), swingman Riccardo Moraschini (6.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game) and center Leonardo Okeke.

THE CANTU’ CONNECTION – Giordano Bortolani, who joined Cantù this season, is a product of the Olimpia youth academy and won an Under-14 Italian championship. He played full-time with the first team for two seasons, winning the 2024 Italian league championship and the 2024 Italian Super Cup. Riccardo Moraschini played in Milan for almost three seasons, making 71 Italian league appearances with 317 points scored. With Olimpia, he won an Italian Super Cup and played in the 2021 EuroLeague Final Four.