Finally we return to play in front of the red and white people, but the opponent of the day, <a href="https://www.archysport.com/2022/01/trieste-clears-cremona-sport/" title="Trieste clears Cremona – Sport”>Reggio Emilia, is certainly not to be taken lightly. Finding the fourth consecutive victory and maintaining the top of the Serie A Unipol table will be a difficult task, because now the surprise effect has vanished and Trieste is no longer seen as a newly promoted team but as a dangerous team for all the competitors.
Coach Priftis’ team was born on solid foundations, but this season has yet to find continuity: the victory in the last round against Treviso was good but the victory against Cremona the previous week was difficult. The debut against Trento ended in a large defeat, while the path in the Champions League at the moment is one victory and one defeat. In the 50th year of Pallacanestro Reggiana’s existence, there is no shortage of ambitions and good prospects, and the Emilian red and whites will certainly want to show on the pitch that they are on the right path.
The man of the moment is the young center of Senegalese origins Mouhamed Faye, a product of the Reggio Emilia academy who seems destined for the big stages but who for now dominates the paint of the Emilian team. He has yet to turn twenty, but he is an immovable starter: 26 minutes per game, 12 points (70% from the field), 9 rebounds and almost 3 blocks on average. The strange couple with the veteran Jamar Smith is the backbone of the team, on which the entire offensive system rests. Smith is a certainty, and is the man responsible for Reggio Emilia’s heavy possessions; for now the three-point shot isn’t going in but the ball is safer in his hands than anyone else.
The core of Italians was reconfirmed from last year and is made up of Sasha Grant, Michele Vitali, Matteo Chillo and Lorenzo Uglietti. Grant is the one with the most potential of the group, but the Cagliari native born in 2002 remains a player who still needs to be built to reach his full potential. The new arrival is the young Filippo Gallo, from Trieste, who so far however has not found space on the pitch in Coach Priftis’ rotations. Vitali has the most minutes among the Italians due to his size and shooting reliability, while Uglietti is doing his job in the role of reserve playmaker, losing only one ball in three games.
Cassius Winston is the team’s starting point guard, and, like guard Jaylen Barford, he is alternating positive moments with difficult moments. However, these are quality players, who are doing what they were signed for: Winston is the best assister on the team and Barford the best scorer, so these are certainly two who will be observed specially by the Trieste defence.
The forward department is completed by Kwan Cheatham, who transferred from Pesaro and is recovering from an injury that prevented him from carrying out his preparations in the best possible way, and by Stephane Gombauld, who arrived to replace Tarik Black but clearly cannot replicate on his own the impact of the predecessor.
This is a team that is still trying to find its balance, but one thing is certain: the defense will be very aggressive, in fact Reggio Emilia is among the top three teams for steals and blocks. There is not only aggression but also discipline, because the Emilians manage to hold their opponents to just 73.6 points per game on average excluding extra time, the second best figure in the entire championship.
