A few less compliments in exchange for two more points: Edilnol is fed up with the “good, but …” pre-season, Super Cup and first day of A2, where out of seven victories only one was seen. Success has a different flavor than slapping on the back and serves morale and ranking and there is no other goal for the debut at home with Assigeco Piacenza. It is played with half-open doors, but with more spectators as possible than in the June playout against Rieti when the public already put their weight in pushing the young rossoblùs to safety. The new long sprint to maintain the category starts today and the hope of the team and staff is to have the fans by their side in good numbers, even if access to the arena will be limited to 1750 people.
Biella would like to repay them with success, but since the ball is as round as the basket, he promises at least to put all the energy he has into it. «We have the desire to do well – assures the assistant coach Andrea Niccolai – and we want to put all the aggressiveness we have on the court. We are working hard to make up for the time lost in a preseason played almost without Americans ». For the first time, after the parenthesis of Orzinuovi’s friendly, there will be two at the disposal of coach Andrea Zanchi: Davis is expected to go sharp after the performance without sauce in Trapani, Hasbrouck had only one week to become familiar with the new companions but has the experience and the class on his side. «He arrived ready – guarantees Niccolai – and he will immediately be able to give us more danger in attack together with his contribution for the propensity to help his teammates. Finally playing to the full will make us gain confidence ».
Instead, Assigeco is not at 100%: with the arrival of Davide Pascolo under the basket (“If he is in a different level,” says Niccolai), coach Salieri has renounced the American strong forward Carr, remaining for now with only one foreigner, the outside Devoe. There are doubts about the physical conditions of two of the three point guards, Sabatini and Deri, both of them struggling with physical problems. The third director (and captain) Luca Cesana puts his hands on: «We have a demanding task because Biella is a young and interesting team: it can surprise us in this championship». The duo ball goes up at 6pm.