As EA7 Emporio Armani Milan prepares for the Top 16, one player flying under the radar who may prove to be one of its biggest difference makers is small forward Stefano Mancinelli. The reasons Mancinelli is somewhat less heralded than his teammates are understandable. In his third season with the club, Mancinelli is the only starter on head coach Sergio Scariolo’s squad that is not a newcomer. And because he is a player that does everything well, but does not necessarily stand out in any one particular area, Mancinelli is sometimes overlooked. Nevertheless, his overall ability to impact a game is huge.

Mancinelli, 28, has played at the highest level for virtually his entire career. He started with the Chieti Basket youth teams, but Fortitudo Bologna scooped him up when he was just 16. Mancinelli made his Euroleague debut at age 18 and within two seasons was playing in the 2004 Euroleague final in Tel Aviv. In all he played nine seasons in Bologna, where he won one Italian League crown and competed in 84 Euroleague games plus two Eurocup campaigns. In 2009 Mancinelli moved to Milano and has been a starter and a crucial player in the fashion capital from Day 1.

There are a number of things that make Mancinelli a premier player. His tremendous athleticism and good speed and size allow him to play either forward spot. Moreover his spirited play and never-ending hustle inspire those around him. And Mancinelli’s high basketball IQ helps him best implement all those characteristics to win basketball games. What’s more is that he boasts shooting range that stretches to the three-point arc and a menacing defensive presence – Mancinelli is one of two Euroleague players ever with 10 steals in a game.

This season he leads the team in two-point shooting percentage, is second in effective field goal percentage and has the third-highest plus/minus rating among Armani rotation players. But of course the biggest contributions Mancinelli has made are those that cannot be seen in the box score.

Entering the Top 16, Armani faces a new challenge: leading scorer Malik Hairston will miss multiple games following Achilles tendon surgery. His absence will impact Mancinelli directly in two ways; It opens up minutes at the wing positions and creates a need for players to fill in the missing points. For Mancinelli, that could be an opportunity to step forward and take charge in the games that matter most. So if at the end of the Top 16, you see Armani knocking on the Playoffs’ door, don’t be surprised to see Stefano Mancinelli leading the way.