MANILA, Philippines – Utah Jazz forward Simone Fontecchio spearheads a formidable Italy side as the Azzurri revealed their final 12-man lineup for the FIBA World Cup on Monday, August 14.

Fontecchio is on a collision course with his Jazz teammate and Gilas Pilipinas star Jordan Clarkson, with Italy joining the Philippines, Dominican Republic, and Angola in Group A.

The only active NBA player in the Azzurri, the 6-foot-7 Fontecchio teams up with a mix of veteran and young players set to be led by Italy mainstay Luigi Datome.

Datome, the only holdover from the previous World Cup in China, retired from professional basketball in July after a well-travelled career that saw him play for the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons in the NBA for two seasons.

Marco Spissu, Mouhamet Diouf, Stefano Tonut, Nicolo Melli, Alessandro Pajola, Achille Polonara, Gabriele Procida, Giampaolo Ricci, Luca Severini, and Matteo Spagnolo complete the Azzurri roster.

Aside from Fontecchio and Datome, Procida and Melli are players to watch out for.

Melli is a 6-foot-9 big man who suited up for the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks, while the 6-foot-7 Procida – who is only 21 years old – has shown promise with his athleticism and quickness.

Conspicuously missing from the Italy lineup are Washington Wizards forward Danilo Gallinari and former Golden State Warriors guard Nico Mannion.

Gallinari will miss action after suffering a knee injury last September that sidelined him for the entire 2022-23 NBA season, while Mannion and the Azzurri mutually agreed for him to sit out the World Cup.

Italy looks to make a deeper run in this edition following its 10th-place finish in China four years ago.

The Azzurri open their World Cup campaign against Angola on August 25 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan before they tangle with Gilas Pilipinas on August 27 at the Araneta Coliseum. – Rappler.com