Benetton Basket Tamoil: The talent experts

If there is a model club for identifying and nurturing basketball talent in Europe, it has to be Benetton Basket Tamoil. The basketball minds in small-market Treviso, Italy have long possessed a near-flawless eye for young talent from far-flung places to boost the club's fortunes. Playing legends who have worn Benetton’s world-famous green jersey include Toni Kukoc, Petar Naumoski, Zeljko Rebraca and Riccardo Pittis, while on the bench have sat world coaching greats like Zeljko Obradovic, Mike D'Antoni, Ettore Messina and David Blatt. Founded in 1954, the club struggled to join the Italian elite until the Benetton family of fashion retailers became owners in 1982. Benetton's first Italian title, in 1992, was followed by a Euroleague title-game appearance and three consecutive Italian Cup crowns. A first European trophy, the Saporta Cup, was won in 1995. A second domestic title came in 1997, another Final Four appearance in 1998, another Saporta Cup in 1999 and a new Italian Cup in 2000. Benetton put it all together in 2001-02 and 2002-03 by winning the Italian League and reaching the Euroleague Final Four in both seasons. Its fifth Italian League trophy arrived in 2006 season and its eighth Italian Cup last season. Always true to its reputation, Benetton has recently an important career stop for such well-known stars as Tyus Edney, Bostjan Nachbar, Marcus Brown, Jorge Garbajosa, Massimo Bulleri, Trajan Langdon, Uros Slokar, Maurice Evans, Andrea Bargnani, Nikos Zisis, Marcus Goree, Marco Mordente and Angelo Gigli - just to name a few. Talent, it seems, never stops rising in Treviso.

2006-07 Euroleague
Despite having only one player healthy enough to start all 14 regular season games, Benetton placed third in a tough group thanks to the second-best scoring defense in the competition. When it needed to win its last pair of games to survive, Benetton did just that. In the Top 16, Benetton's defense was just as tough, but so was the team's luck. With a three-point road loss in the last game, Benetton again finished third in its group, but now out of the playoffs despite a better basket average than three of eight teams that advanced.
Italian League
Benetton was again one of the top teams in Italy for a large stretch of the season, until a sanction for signing too many players dropped it out to near the bottom of the standings and out of the playoffs. Benetton still finished with 21 victories, which had it not been for the off-court contratemps, would have ranked the team fifth at the end of the regular season.
Italian Cup
Benetton won its third Italian Cup in four years the hard way, outlasting VidiVici Bologna on the latter's home court. To reach the title game, Benetton had previously stopped Lottomatica Roma and eventual league champ Montepaschi Siena. The semifinal and final games were decided by a total of three points, showing that Benetton had the winning knack when it counted.

BENETTON TAMOIL SCHEDULE

vs. Team China, September 30 21:00 local time | 15:00 CET vs. Sydney Kings, October 1 17:00 local time | 11:00 CET

 

TEAM ROSTER # Name Pos. Height 4 Mario Austin C 2,06 5 Giuliano Maresca G 1,92 6 Engin Atsur G 1,93 7 Matteo Soragna F 1,98 8 Lionel Chalmers G 1,83 9 Marco Mordente G 190 10 Niccolo Martinoni F 2,01 12 Nana Mensah Bonsu F 2,10 13 Der Marr Johnson F 2,06 14 Tommaso Fantoni F 2,03 15 Angelo Gigli F 2,09 19 Andrea Renzi F 2,07

TEAMS CSKA Moscow Benetton Basket Tamoil Team China Sydney Kings