Olimpia Milano travels to face an in-form Udine side boasting the Italian championship’s stingiest defense on Sunday, November 15, at 18:15 local time at Pala Carnera, with live coverage on Sky Sport, Cielo, and LBA Tv.
The fixture brings together two teams trending upward, though visitors arrive facing a demanding stretch of five games in ten days across domestic and European competition.
Olimpia Milano holds a 5-2 record in the Italian league, including a 3-1 mark at home and a 2-1 away record following victories at Napoli and Cantù. Meanwhile, Udine enters its debut Serie A campaign having won its last two matches, overcoming an early three-game skid.
Head coach Emilio Kovacic highlighted the tactical challenge posed by the weekend hosts during his pre-match media availability.
“Udine is a very well-coached team in which the players are perfectly aware of what their roles are on the court,” Kovacic told Olimpia Milano.
The defensive discipline implemented by coach Adriano Vertemati anchors Udine’s early-season run. Vertemati previously worked as an assistant under Andrea Trinchieri at Bayern Monaco during their EuroLeague playoff series against Olimpia Milano. That defensive identity now translates into limiting opponents across both the perimeter and the paint.
Udine’s perimeter rotation features Slovenian playmaker Žan Mark Šiško, who commands the offense with 8.9 points and 5.6 assists per game while shooting an efficient 68.6 percent from two-point range. Backing up the backcourt is team captain Andrea Calzavara, a Varese youth product averaging 11.0 points and 3.7 assists while drawing a league-high 5.6 fouls per contest.
Leading scorer Raequan Battle paces the roster with 16.7 points per game. The West Virginia product splits time between shooting guard and small forward alongside Denzel Valentine. Valentine contributes 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, establishing himself as a creative offensive force who also ranks fourth overall in defensive rebounds.
Lorenzo Bucarelli completes the perimeter options, averaging 4.0 points after stepping up from the Serie A2 ranks following an under-19 world silver medal with Italy.
In the frontcourt, Joseph Mobio starts at power forward, bringing defensive energy over 22.9 minutes per game alongside 5.3 points and 4.0 rebounds. Veteran shooter Eimantas Bendzius provides instant offense off the bench, shooting 42.1 percent from beyond the arc over his career.
Nick McGlynn anchors the center position with 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. Veteran backup Skyler Spencer provides elite rim protection, ranking second in the league in rebounding with 3.3 boards per game and standing as one of the championship’s premier shot-blockers.
Olimpia Milano enters the matchup aiming to replicate the proactive defensive intensity it displayed during its recent EuroLeague performance against Žalgiris. With a grueling schedule ahead before the upcoming national team break, execution on both ends of the floor remains the priority.
The Lega Basket Serie A has assigned Valerio Grigioni, Gianluca Capotorto, and Marco Attard to officiate Sunday’s encounter.
Because the current APU Udine club was founded in 2011 and is competing in its first-ever Serie A season, no direct historical head-to-head precedent exists between Olimpia and the modern Friulian entity, though the region boasts a rich basketball lineage dating back to the historic Snaidero era. Last season, the sides split their respective fixtures by defending home court.
APU Udine-Armani Olimpia Milano gets underway on Sunday, November 15, at 18:15 local time at Pala Carnera.
Keep reading
