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Milan duo Tonut, Ricci stepped out of the shadows to guide Italy past Angola

Milan duo Tonut, Ricci stepped out of the shadows to guide Italy past Angola

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25 August 20234 Mins read

Geoff Gillingham

Editorial Manager

Stefano Tonut gets to the basket during Italy's 67-81 win against Angola in the opening game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Four years ago, Stefano Tonut and Giampaolo Ricci had to watch on from home as the Italian national team fell in the second round of the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Fast-forward to Friday, August 25, and the two EA7 Emporio Armani Milan players came up big for Italy as it opened the 2023 FIBA World Cup with a 67-81 win over Angola in Bulacan, Philippines.

The game between Italy and Angola was a tight affair throughout almost the entire contest, with the African team largely doing enough to prevent Gianmarco Pozzecco's side from pulling away. Yet, in the final quarter, Italy outscored Angola 10-20 to secure its first victory of the tournament.

Tonut's rise to stardom

One of the players that helped to ensure Italy had a slender 57-61 lead entering the fourth quarter was Milan guard Tonut, as he had scored 14 points through the first three quarters. The Angola defense struggled mightily to contain Tonut, who went on to finish with 18 points and 2 assists. Over the last few years he has seen his stock rise and rise, and now he is flourishing in a leading role for the Azzurri.

Last summer, the 29-year-old earned a spot on Italy's EuroBasket 2022 roster after shining with Umana Reyer Venice in the 2021-22 BKT EuroCup season, averaging 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Those performances also resulted in him moving to Milan, which gave Tonut the chance to play in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for the first time.

Although he had to make do with a role off the bench under Milan boss Ettore Messina, his ability was clear to see. Notably, Tonut scored 14 points against eventual champion Real Madrid in Round 29, but a strong showing at this World Cup should give him a strong platform to build on as he enters his sophomore EuroLeague season.

Ricci's energy and passion

The confidence garnered by coming up against elite-level competition in the EuroLeague has obviously paid dividends for Tonut, and the same can also be said for Ricci. After all, the 31-year-old forward has spent the last two years with Milan in the EuroLeague and previously displayed his quality during a two-year stint in the EuroCup with Virtus Segafredo Bologna.

During the 2022-23 EuroLeague campaign, Ricci showed himself to be a valuable glue guy for Coach Messina in what was a difficult season for the team, with his energy and passion on the court being one of the key factors behind the Italian side's late resurgence.

Ricci's numbers were not exactly spectacular entering the fourth and final period of Friday's contest against Angola, but he stepped up with 7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block in the final 10 minutes of play. As such, his final numbers stood at 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks – a pretty complete display. While Ricci's scoring is not one of the more well-known parts of his game, his hustle was clear to see with the 1 steal and 2 blocks.

Both Tonut and Ricci have had to make do as role players in Milan, but coming against the best of the best in the EuroLeague has clearly helped them to develop as players. Italy showed a lot of grit and determination to defeat Angola, and those two qualities perfectly exemplify what Tonut and Ricci bring not only to the Azzurri but also to Milan.