Most interesting Italian league talents that flew under the radar / News - Basketnews.com

The Italian league is often a place where bigger teams, including EuroLeague ones, can find some diamonds in the rough and turn them into steady contributors at a higher level. BasketNews brings you a trip to discover some of the players who impress the most in the Italian league.

Credit: Reuvers (FIBA) - Abdur-Rahkman (Mattia Radoni/LiveMedia //SIPA) - Mikael Jantunen (FIBA) Credit Reuvers (FIBA) - Abdur-Rahkman (Mattia Radoni/LiveMedia //SIPA) - Mikael Jantunen (FIBA)

The fact that Virtus Segafredo Bologna and EA7 Emporio Armani Milan find themselves at the top of the table of the Italian league is not really surprising.

We're talking about two superpowers of Italian basketball, the teams with the biggest budgets in the league and the richest history in this competition.

But if, in terms of standings, there haven't been any major surprises in Italy, the same thing cannot be said about the players' performances.

The Italian league has always been a place where it's possible to find some diamonds in the rough, players who haven't reached their full potential yet but they started to show clear signs of talent.

This season has brought several names who have been performing on an exciting level and might become targets on the market this summer for many teams from abroad.

For this reason, at BasketNews, we have decided to analyze some of these interesting profiles and highlight which might become the most requested this summer.

Frank Bartley IV (G, Pallacanestro Trieste)

In his first season in the Italian league, Frank Bartley is absolutely shining and tries to help his team in any way he can to avoid relegation to the second division.

The American guard is currently the league's top scorer, averaging 19.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

Bartley scored 20 or more points in 14 league games already. He's one of the leading candidates to win the MVP award at the end of the regular season.

The past summer, his arrival wasn't necessarily the talk of the town, but the fans of Trieste quickly fell in love with his scoring abilities and impressive physicality.

Bartley can score in many ways, and his offensive versatility has been the primary weapon of coach Legovich's system.

The growth of the American guard in the past few years has been steady. In the 2019-20 season, he played in the Spanish second division, and from there, he has consistently elevated his game, playing first in Germany and then in Israel.

At 29, it's pretty much a given that Bartley might become a target for Champions League or EuroCup teams during the offseason. Meanwhile, he'll try his best to keep Trieste in the Italian Serie A.

Colbey Ross (PG, Pallacanestro Varese)

Varese has been the must-watch team this season in Italy. The team owned by Luis Scola and coached by Matt Brase has fully embraced a run&gun offensive style, and results have been exciting so far.

The team is currently in the playoff area, and the fans are enjoying the experience with the home arena often sold out.

So far, one of the team's key elements has been American point guard Colbey Ross. In his second season in Europe, the Pepperdine alumn is absolutely shining and quickly became one of the most exciting players to watch in the Italian league.

Ross averages 16.7 points, 7.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. He's currently the second-best in the league in assists and has an average of 20.7 in EFF, the best in the league.

The American point guard is extremely efficient, has a great basketball IQ, and can even stand his ground defensively, especially on the perimeter.

Already in his rookie season in the Czech Republic, he had displayed some fascinating aspects of his game.

Still, this year he's showing even more that he belongs to a really high level of basketball. It'll be extremely difficult for Varese to keep him around beyond this season.

Mikael Jantunen (PF, Nutribullet Treviso Basket)

Finding Jantunen on this list shouldn't be a surprise for those who follow basketball closely. The Finnish power forward was already one of the most exciting prospects around Europe before joining Treviso last summer.

The 22-year-old had already shown his qualities during his experience with the Oostende jersey, where he turned out to be one of the best youngsters in the Basketball Champions League.

This season, with the Italian side, Jantunen is establishing himself as a very versatile and energetic power forward.

One of his best qualities is his motor, and he's the type of player that is constantly in motion, whether he's trying to go for a backdoor cut or fighting for a rebound.

His numbers so far have been solid, as Jantunen averages 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

The player has already received plenty of interest from abroad, especially from VTB League and ACB, so there's no doubt he'll be a coveted player on the market this summer.

Nate Reuvers (PF/C, UNAHOTELS Reggio Emilia)

Reggio Emilia's season so far has been very complex. After reaching the playoffs last season, there were decent expectations for the Emilia team. Things, however, have turned out much differently than might have been expected.

The team is currently at the bottom of the standings, and it won't be easy to save their season. One of the few positive notes of Reggio Emilia's season has been the performance of Nate Reuvers.

Coming from his experience at Cibona, the 2.11-meter American is proving to be an extremely talented player. Endowed with great technique for a player of his size, Reuvers can do a lot of harm to opposing defenses when he is in front of the basket.

He shoots very well from distance (39 percent this season) and has excellent game vision. Defensively, he can protect the iron reasonably well with his good elevation but still lacks the physicality needed to be a better defender in low-post situations.

Should Reggio Emilia also relegate, it is almost a given that Reuvers will have a decent market waiting for him, given his young age (24 years old) and excellent technical qualities.

Tariq Owens (C, Pallacanestro Varese)

We already said that the run&gun style embraced by Pallacanestro Varese this season is really exciting, so it shouldn't be surprising that on this list, we find another player from this team.

First, we talked about the point guard, and now we will focus on the big man of the team, Tariq Owens. The American big man is in his first-ever experience in Europe after spending the last few seasons between the NBA and the G League.

The quality that immediately jumps out is his athleticism. The former Suns center is an extremely mobile and athletic player, he runs very well in transition, and his explosiveness often takes him above the rim, both on offense and defense.

He is one of the best shot blockers in the Italian league, and on offense, he always manages to close effectively at the rim.

Playing with a point guard like Colbey Ross helps him a lot, as the Pepperdine alumnus constantly manages to serve him with lobs and alley-oops. Finishing the season strong with Varese might open to him the doors of higher European competitions.

C.J. Massinburg (G/SF, Germani Brescia)

So far, it has been a strange season for Germani Brescia. The Italian team struggles in the domestic league, as they're currently out of the playoff zone, and they're still in the mix of the battle to avoid relegation.

But in February, they won the Italian Cup overcoming both Olimpia Milan and Virtus Bologna, and they also qualified for the EuroCup playoffs.

One of the most interesting players on the roster is C.J. Massinburg, who arrived last summer after spending his rookie season in Europe with Limoges.

Massinburg struggled to adapt to his off-the-bench role in the first part of the season, but now he's looking more comfortable and turning into a handy weapon for Brescia.

A good 3-point shooter with physicality and size, Massinburg is the type of player that doesn't need to have the ball in his hands to be effective. Defensively, he can stand his ground on the perimeter due to his size and quick feet.

Although his season with Brescia hasn't been perfect, Massinburg remains an extremely interesting player. I'm pretty sure he'll be able to draw a certain level of interest in the offseason.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (G, Pallacanestro Pesaro)

Probably one of the biggest surprises of the season has been represented by the performances of Pesaro's guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman.

After spending last season in Poland, the American player is impressing in Italy, averaging 15.5 points (shooting 40% from three-point), 4.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.

Abdur-Rahkman is a guard who loves to push the tempo up and loves to run the floor in transition. He has an explosive first step when he attacks his opponent, and his explosiveness helps him to finish at the rim.

Defensively, he has fast hands and is often active on the passing lines. He's gifted with good defensive instincts, although sometimes he can be a little lazy off the ball.

Pesaro fights for a spot in the playoffs and, with the help of Abdur-Rahkman, keeps better-ranked teams like Venice or Brescia behind them.

Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.