Serie A Round 6 (Regular Season): Napoli keeps a leadership position

It's still too early stage of the Regular Season in Serie A, but even now we can clearly see the difference between stronger teams and outsiders. Here is the last round review presented by Job Market.

The game had a very big importance for third-ranked Napoli as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Napoli defeated 8th ranked Umana Venezia at home 99-81. Napoli looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Venezia's players. 27 personal fouls committed by Venezia helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American Jahmi'us Ramsey (190-2001, college: Texas Tech) who scored 28 points (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line). The other American import Zachary Seljaas (202-1997, college: BYU) chipped in 9 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international center Amedeo Tessitori (208-1994) who recorded 14 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. As mentioned above they are at the top of the standings, which they share with Virtus and Treviso. Venezia at the other side dropped to the seventh place with three games lost. They share the position with 4 other teams. Venezia will play next round against Reggio Emilia trying to get back on the winning streak. Napoli will try to continue on its current victory against fourteenth ranked Scafati on the road.
Undefeated Virtus Bologna (5-1) recorded its first loss at the home court. Hosts were defeated by eleventh ranked Trieste (3-3) 100-93. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Virtus Bologna. It was a good game for American Sean McDermott (198-1996, college: Butler, agency: Octagon Europe) who led his team to a victory with 23 points and 8 rebounds. Lajae Jones contributed with 21 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. International forward Francesco Ferrari (204-2005) replied with 13 points and 7 rebounds for Virtus. Virtus Bologna's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Trieste have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 4 other teams. Virtus at the other side still keep top position with one game lost. They share it with Treviso and Napoli. Trieste will play against Roma Basket (#13) in Rome in the next round where they are favorite. Virtus will play at home against Verona (#11) and hope to get back on the winning track.
An interesting game where Varese (#8) beat host Verona (#4) 99-88 on Saturday evening. David Duke Jr. scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners. The best for the losing side was Mike Tobey with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field). Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Varese (4-2) moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Milano and Trento. Newly promoted Verona dropped to the seventh position with three games lost. They share it with 4 other teams. Varese will meet at home Udine (#10) in the next round where they are favorite. Verona will play against Virtus in Bologna and hope to secure a win.

Rest of the games of round 6 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Scafati was defeated by Roma Basket in Rome 103-90. Winless Cantu lost to defending champion Milano at home 82-95. Roma Max. destroyed Trento on the opponent's court 88-62. Treviso managed to outperform Reggio Emilia in a home game 81-68. Tortona recorded a loss to Udine on the road 86-77.



Napoli - Venezia 99-81:
The game had a very big importance for third-ranked Napoli as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Napoli defeated 8th ranked Umana Venezia at home 99-81. Napoli looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Venezia's players. 27 personal fouls committed by Venezia helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American Jahmi'us Ramsey (190-2001, college: Texas Tech) who scored 28 points (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line). The other American import Zachary Seljaas (202-1997, college: BYU) chipped in 9 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international center Amedeo Tessitori (208-1994) who recorded 14 points and 5 rebounds and German forward Louis Olinde (205-1998) added 12 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. As mentioned above they are at the top of the standings, which they share with Virtus and Treviso. Venezia at the other side dropped to the seventh place with three games lost. They share the position with 4 other teams. Venezia will play next round against Reggio Emilia trying to get back on the winning streak. Napoli will try to continue on its current victory against fourteenth ranked Scafati on the road.
Top scorers:
Venezia: G.Watson Jr. 15, A.Tessitori 14+5reb+1ast, L.Olinde 12+6reb+1ast, J.Parks 10+3reb+2ast, G.De Nicolao 9+1ast, L.Candi 7+2ast
Napoli: R.Jahmi'us 28+2reb+3ast, C.Guglielmo 17+2reb, W.Jack 14+5reb, D.Jeff 10+3reb+3ast, S.Zachary 9+8reb+4ast, T.Leonardo 6+2ast

Roma Basket - Scafati 103-90:
Everything could happen in Rome at the game between two tied teams. Both thirteenth ranked Roma Basket and 14th ranked Scafati had identical 1-4 record. This time Roma Basket used a home court advantage and beat the opponent from Scafati 103-90 on Sunday night. Roma Basket made 16-of-19 free shots (84.2 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 28 assists. The former international point guard Nicolo Mannion (190-2001, college: Arizona) scored 19 points and 8 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Canadian center Kelly Olynyk (212-1991, college: Gonzaga) chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. Roma Basket's coach Alessandro Magro used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was American-Nigerian forward Mezie Offurum (203-2000, college: JMU) with 20 points and 7 rebounds and American point guard Charlie Moore (183-1998, college: Miami, FL) scored 22 points and 5 assists. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Roma Basket (2-4) moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Reggio Emilia. Newly promoted Scafati keeps the fourteenth position with five games lost. They share it with Tortona. Roma Basket will meet higher ranked Trieste (#9) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Scafati will play against the league's leader Napoli (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Scafati: C.Moore 22+2reb+5ast, M.Offurum 20+7reb+2ast, B.Mascolo 16+7reb+5ast, B.Johnson 12+8reb+4ast, Z.Onyema 11+3reb+1ast, A.Lever 5+2reb+1ast
Roma Basket: M.Nicolo 19+2reb+8ast, O.Kelly 16+8reb+1ast, D.Corey 16+1reb+6ast, W.Paul 13+2reb, S.Erik 11+2reb+6ast, S.Arturs 11+2reb+1ast

Cantu - Milano 82-95:
No shocking result in a game when sixth ranked Armani Milano (4-2) defeated on the road bottom-ranked Cantu (0-6) 95-82 on Monday. Milano made 20-of-26 free shots (76.9 percent) during the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Milano made 8 blocks. American guard RJ Cole (185-1999, college: UConn) scored 14 points and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Argentinian guard Leandro Bolmaro (200-2000) chipped in 14 points and 4 steals during the contest. The best for the losing side was American swingman Savion Flagg (201-1999, college: SHSU) with 17 points and 5 rebounds and his fellow American import guard Hassani Gravett (188-1996, college: S.Carolina) scored 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Defending champion moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Varese and Trento. Loser Cantu still closes the standings with six games lost. Milano will meet at home Trento (#4) in the next round. Cantu will play against Roma Max. (#7) in Rome and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Cantu: S.Flagg 17+5reb+3ast, D.Moretti 16+1reb+1ast, O.Olisevicius 12+3reb+2ast, R.Moraschini 10+3reb+2ast, H.Gravett 10+6reb+6ast, C.Brown 9+9reb+1ast
Milano: C.RJ 14+3reb+4ast, B.Leandro 14+3reb+2ast, G.Marko 12+1reb+2ast, R.Giampaolo 10+4reb, T.Darius 10+1reb+1ast, W.Moses 8+6reb

Trento - Roma Max. 62-88:
The game between closely ranked teams ended with 7th ranked Dolomiti Trentino's (4-2) home loss to sixth ranked Roma Max. (3-3) 62-88 on Sunday. American point guard Aaron Holiday (184-1996, college: UCLA) scored 28 points and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and naturalized American guard Mirza Alibegovic (198-1992) chipped in 18 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was American forward Isaiah Bigelow (201-2000, college: Richmond) with 15 points and 5 rebounds and his fellow American import guard Quincy Olivari (190-2001, college: Xavier) scored 12 points and 4 assists. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Roma Max. have a solid three-game winning streak. Despite that victory Roma Max. went down to seventh position due to points difference, which they share with 4 other teams. Loser Dolomiti Trentino dropped to the fourth place with two games lost. They share the position with Milano and Varese. Roma Max. will meet at home bottom-ranked Cantu (#16) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Trento will play against Milano (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Trento: I.Bigelow 15+5reb+3ast, Q.Olivari 12+3reb+4ast, S.Mawugbe 8+7reb+1ast, P.Niang 7+2reb+1ast, C.Brown Jr. 6+6reb, J.Bayehe 5+3reb
Roma Max.: H.Aaron 28+3reb+6ast, A.Mirza 18+3reb+2ast, V.Giovanni 9+6reb+1ast, W.Carl 9+5reb+2ast, B.John 6+5reb+2ast, B.Miro 6+5reb+2ast

Treviso - Reggio Emilia 81-68:
Very predictable result when third ranked Treviso (5-1) beat at home 10th ranked Reggio Emilia (2-4) 81-68 on Saturday. Treviso made 23-of-30 free shots (76.7 percent) during the game. American swingman JP Macura (196-1995, college: Xavier) scored 20 points to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import point guard DeWayne Russell (180-1994, college: GCU) chipped in 18 points during the contest. Treviso's coach Marcelo Nicola used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was the former international swingman Riccardo Visconti (197-1998) with 14 points and 7 rebounds (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line) and American guard Rob Edwards (196-1997, college: Arizona St., agency: Diamond Sports) scored 10 points and 6 assists. Treviso have a solid three-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Virtus and Napoli. Loser Reggio Emilia dropped to the twelfth place with four games lost. They share the position with Roma Basket. Treviso will meet Tortona (#15) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Reggio Emilia will play against Venezia and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Reggio Emilia: R.Visconti 14+7reb+2ast, J.Thor 11+5reb+1ast, R.Edwards 10+3reb+6ast, J.Barford 9+6reb+2ast, L.Severini 8+9reb, D.Ogbeide 7+8reb
Treviso: M.JP 20+4reb+1ast, R.DeWayne 18+3reb+3ast, C.Alessandro 15+2reb+4ast, A.Ike 8+5reb+1ast, C.Brekkott 7+10reb+3ast, M.Federico 4+1reb+1ast

Udine - Tortona 86-77:
Not a big story in a game when 14th ranked Tortona (1-5) was defeated on the road by eleventh ranked Udine (3-3) 86-77 on Sunday. Guard Andrea Calzavara (195-2001) scored 18 points and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Slovenian point guard Zan Mark Sisko (190-1997) chipped in 14 points and 5 assists during the contest. Four Udine players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American guard Dante Maddox Jr. (188-2002, college: Xavier) with 28 points (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) and his fellow American import forward Justin Gorham (201-1998, college: Houston) scored 9 points and 9 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Udine moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 4 other teams. Tortona lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the fourteenth position with five games lost. They share it with Scafati. Udine will meet higher ranked Varese (#6) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Tortona will play against the league's second-placed Treviso (#2) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Tortona: D.Maddox Jr. 28+1reb+3ast, G.Bortolani 10+1reb+1ast, A.Durham 10+4ast, J.Gorham 9+9reb, D.Olejniczak 7+3reb+1ast, A.Alibegovic 5+2reb+1ast
Udine: C.Andrea 18+2reb+4ast, B.RaeQuan 16+1reb, M.Zan 14+4reb+5ast, B.Eimantas 12+3reb+3ast, M.Nick 9+6reb+1ast, V.Denzel 4+6reb+2ast

Verona - Varese 88-99:
An interesting game where Varese (#8) beat host Verona (#4) 99-88 on Saturday evening. Openjobmetis Varese made 20-of-25 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. They also forced 20 Verona turnovers. American guard David Duke Jr. (193-1999, college: Providence) scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import guard Hunter Hale (192-1997, college: Winthrop) chipped in 19 points and 6 assists during the contest (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line). The best for the losing side was American-Slovenian center Mike Tobey (213-1994, college: Virginia) with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field) and American forward RJ Melendez (201-2002, college: MSU) scored 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. Five Openjobmetis Varese and four Verona players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Varese (4-2) moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Milano and Trento. Newly promoted Verona dropped to the seventh position with three games lost. They share it with 4 other teams. Varese will meet at home Udine (#10) in the next round where they are favorite. Verona will play against Virtus in Bologna and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Verona: M.Tobey 27+15reb+3ast, J.Samuels Jr. 15+2reb+1ast, R.Melendez 14+5reb+4ast, A.Loro 13+2reb+2ast, F.Zampini 7+4reb+1ast, A.Andrews 6+2reb+8ast
Varese: H.Hunter 19+1reb+6ast, D.David 18+5reb+5ast, K.Ismael 14+8reb, A.Davide 13+4reb+3ast, L.Matteo 12+1reb+2ast, R.Isaiah 8+3reb

Virtus BO - Trieste 93-100:
Undefeated Virtus Bologna (5-1) recorded its first loss at the home court. Hosts were defeated by eleventh ranked Trieste (3-3) 100-93. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Virtus Bologna. Trieste made 24-of-29 charity shots (82.8 percent) during the game. Virtus were plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a good game for American Sean McDermott (198-1996, college: Butler, agency: Octagon Europe) who led his team to a victory with 23 points and 8 rebounds. The other American import guard Lajae Jones (201-2004, college: FSU) contributed with 21 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. International forward Francesco Ferrari (204-2005) replied with 13 points and 7 rebounds and Canadian guard Marcus Carr (188-1999, college: Texas) added 12 points and 5 assists in the effort for Virtus. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Virtus Bologna's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Trieste have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to seventh place, which they share with 4 other teams. Virtus at the other side still keep top position with one game lost. They share it with Treviso and Napoli. Trieste will play against Roma Basket (#13) in Rome in the next round where they are favorite. Virtus will play at home against Verona (#11) and hope to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Virtus BO: D.Alston Jr. 16+2reb+1ast, K.Edwards 15+4reb, F.Ferrari 13+7reb+1ast, M.Carr 12+3reb+5ast, W.Moore Jr. 10+7reb, K.Kokila 8+8reb+3ast
Trieste: G.Langston 24+5reb+2ast, M.Sean 23+8reb+1ast, J.Lajae 21+9reb+2ast, R.Colbey 18+2reb+6ast, C.Francesco 6+4reb+1ast, B.Luka 4+3reb+2ast