Serie A2 (basketball)

Wikipedia

Serie A2
Organising bodyLega Nazionale Pallacanestro (LNP)
Founded1974; 51 years ago (1974)
First season1974–75
CountryItaly
ConfederationFIBA Europe
Number of teams20
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toLBA
Relegation toSerie B
Domestic cupCoppa Italia LNP
SupercupSupercoppa LNP
Most championships18 teams
(1 title each)
TV partnersLNP [it]
Websitelegapallacanestro.com

Serie A2, known for sponsorship reasons as Serie A2 Old Wild West, is a men's basketball league in Italy. It constitutes the second-tier of the Italian league pyramid, below the first division LBA and above the third division Serie B, with promotion/relegation occurring between these leagues.

It is run by the Lega Nazionale Pallacanestro (LNP), itself regulated by the FIP, the Italian federation.

Names

 
  • 1974–2001: Serie A2
  • 2001–2013: LegaDue Basket
  • 2013–2014: Divisione Nazionale A Gold Basket
  • 2014–present: Serie A2

History

Logo used from 2013 until 2019

The league was created in May 1974, by the Lega Basket, the organisation in charge of running the LBA (to this day), that decided to create a new second division with 10 clubs. The two that were relegated during that season, and 8 from the now-former second tier Serie B, chosen with an on and off the court criteria.

The 1975–76 season saw 12 clubs take part, after a complicated system had seen a transfer of clubs from the Serie A1 to the A2.[1]

In June 2001, the LegaDue was created to replace the Serie A2. Lega Basket now took part in running the league, though a system of promotion and relegation between the leagues remained.[2]

During the 2013 summer, another revamp was decided. The LegaDue was amalgamated with the third division DNA, to form a two-tiered league, the DNA (Divisione Nazionale A) Gold and DNA Silver. The two DNA's had separate season's, but the first ranked team in DNA Silver joined the seven best Gold teams to compete for the single promotion spot in the Serie A. The next best eight Silver squads fought for one spot in the next Gold season, whilst the three worst teams were relegated.[3]

The next season saw the league retake its Serie A2 moniker, keeping a similar but tweaked hybrid model, with the eight best Gold and the four best Silver teams taking part in the promotion playoffs (still for the one spot), whilst the last two Gold and the penultimate and ante-penultimate Silver squads play a relegation play out (the last ranked Silver team was relegated outright).[4]

Competition format

For the 2015–16 season, the Serie A2 Basket is composed of 32 teams with a regional subdivision in two equal groups of sixteen, East and West.

Each team plays the others in its subgroup twice, the first ranked team of each group then plays the eighth ranked team of the other group (e.g. East #1 against West #8), then the second best against the seventh, and so on, to form a promotion playoffs (for one place) of sixteen teams.[5]

Since the 2018–19 season the Playoffs winner is the third promoted team to LBA. The two other promoted clubs, which are also the top seeded on the League Table at the end of the Regular Season, have to face a final of two matches to decide the winner of the Serie A2.[6]

Since the 2019–20 season the Playoffs winners (2 tournaments) are promoted to LBA.

Current clubs (2024–2025)

Team City
Avellino BasketAvellino
Fortitudo BolognaBologna
New Basket BrindisiBrindisi
Pallacanestro CantùCantù
Benedetto XIV CentoCento
UEB CividaleCividale del Friuli
Juvi Cremona 1952Cremona
Pallacanestro ForlìForlì
Libertas LivornoLivorno
Urania MilanoMilan
Nardò BasketNardò
OrziBasketOrzinuovi
Victoria Libertas PesaroPesaro
Unione Cestistica CasalpusterlengoPiacenza
Real Sebastiani RietiRieti
Rinascita Basket RiminiRimini
Basket TorinoTurin
APU UdineUdine
Scaligera Basket VeronaVerona
Nuova Pallacanestro Vigevano 1955Vigevano

League champions

Season Champions Other promoted team
2001–02Pastificio di Nola Napoli
2002–03Sanic TeramoPallacanestro Messina
2003–04Bipop Reggio EmiliaSicc Cucine Jesi
2004–05Upea Capo d'OrlandoCaffè Maxim Bologna
2005–06Eurorida ScafatiPremiata Montegranaro
2006–07Sebastiani RietiScavolini Pesaro
2007–08Carife FerraraPepsi Caserta
2008–09Pallacanestro VareseVanoli Soresina
2009–10Enel BrindisiDinamo Sassari
2010–11A.S. Junior Pallacanestro CasaleReyer Venezia
2011–12Trenkwalder Reggio EmiliaEnel Brindisi
2012–13Pistoia Basket 2000
2013–14Aquila Basket Trento
2014–15Manital Torino
2015–16Centrale del Latte Brescia
2016–17Segafredo Virtus Bologna
2017–18Alma Pallacanestro Trieste
2018–19Lavoropiù Fortitudo BolognaVirtus Roma & Treviso
2019–20Not assigned[a]
2020–21GeVi Napoli & Bertram Tortona
2021–22Scaligera Verona
2022–23Vanoli BasketGiorgio Tesi Group Pistoia
2023–24Pallacanestro Trieste & Trapani Shark
2024–25APU Udine Acqua S.Bernardo Cantù

MVP

Season MVP Team
2009–10United States Omar ThomasNew Basket Brindisi
2010–11United States Ricky HickmanJunior Casale
2011–12United States Dwight HardyPistoia Basket
2012–13United States Casper WareJunior Casale
2013–14Italy Davide PascoloAquila Basket Trento
2014–15[7] United States Darryl MonroeTezenis Verona
2015–16[8]United States Damian HollisCentrale del Latte Brescia

Best Coach

Season Coach Team
2003–04Italy Fabrizio FratesPallacanestro Reggiana
2004–05Italy Giovanni PerdichizziOrlandina Basket
2005–06Italy Luca DalmonteBasket Club Ferrara
2006–07Italy Giampiero TicchiBasket Rimini Crabs
2007–08Italy Sandro Dell'AgnelloBasket Livorno
2008-09Italy Andrea TrinchieriVeroli Basket
2009–10Italy Luigi GarelliNuova Pallacanestro Vigevano
2010–11Italy Giulio GriccioliScafati Basket
2011–12Italy Massimiliano MenettiPallacanestro Reggiana
2012–13Italy Alberto MartelossiBasket Brescia Leonessa
2013–14Italy Maurizio BuscagliaAquila Basket Trento
2014–15[7]Italy Alessandro RamagliScaligera Basket Verona
2015–16[9]Italy Eugenio DalmassonTrieste
2019–20NOT ASSIGNED
2020–21Italy Alessandro RamagliScaligera Basket Verona

Topscorers

By scoring average

Carlton Myers, 1995 Italian A2 scoring champion.
Drew Nicholas, 2004 Italian A2 scoring champion.

Regular season, play-offs not included.

Top scorers by scoring average (1987–88 to present)
Season Player
(league's top scorer)
Club Scoring average
1982–83United States Roscoe PondexterCover Jeans Roseto30.7
1983–84Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dražen DalipagićGedeco Udine29.1
1984–85United States Joe BryantRieti32.6 [10]
1985–86United States Joe BryantRieti37.6
1986–87United States Joe BryantReggio Calabria33.3
1987–88United States Joe Bryant (4×)Pistoia 36.3
1988–89Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dražen Dalipagić (2×)Glaxo Verona35.3
1988–90United States Mike MitchellFilodoro Brescia32.4
1990–91Brazil Oscar SchmidtPavia43.6
1991–92United StatesRepublic of Ireland Ron RowanPistoia 31.9
1992-93Brazil Oscar Schmidt (2×)Pavia39.2
1993–94Croatia Arijan KomazecPallacanestro Varese31.8
1994–95Italy Carlton MyersRimini30.5
1995–96United States Mike Mitchell (2×)Pallacanestro Reggiana32.8
1996–97United States Kareem TownesJuvecaserta26.8
1997–98United States Steve BurttImola27.9 [11]
1998–99United States Rodney MonroeTermal Imola25.1 [12]
1999–00United States Rodney Monroe (2×)Fabriano Basket21.8 [13]
2000–01United States Antonio GrangerPallacanestro Biella25.6 [14]
2001–02United States Horace JenkinsC.S. Borgomanero30.4
2002-03Italy Mario BoniTeramo Basket29.2 [15]
2003–04United States Drew Nicholas Fabriano Basket27.1 [16]
2004-05Italy Vincenzo EspositoImola26.9 [17]
2005-06United States Sean ColsonJuveCaserta30.6 [18]
2006-07United States Lionel ChalmersDinamo Sassari26.7
2007-08United States Tim PickettTermal Imola22.6 [19]
2008-09United States Joe BunnTermal Imola23.2 [20]
2009-10United States Trent WhitingTermal Imola22.3 [21]
2010-11United States Trent Whiting (2×)Termal Imola22.4 [22]
2011-12United States Troy BellAzzurro Napoli Basket23.2 [23]

Source: LegaBasket.it STATISTICHE (in Italian).

Distinctions

These players have played in the Serie A2.

FIBA Hall of Fame

Basketball Hall of Fame

FIBA's 50 Greatest Players (1991)

Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

See also

Notes

References

  1. "Storia della Lega Basket" [Lega Basket history] (PDF). Lega Basket.it (in Italian). Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  2. "Storia della Lega Basket" [Lega Basket history] (PDF). Lega Basket.it (in Italian). Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  3. Sciascia, Giuseppe (4 October 2013). "Al via Lega Gold e Silver. Nuova formula e tanti big" [At the start of the Gold and Silver League. A new formula and so many stars]. Gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  4. Banzola, Alberto (3 October 2014). "Basket, Serie A2: al via domenica l'ultima stagione divisa in due" [Basketball, Serie A2: at the start [of the league] on Sunday, the last season divided in two]. Gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  5. "Comunicato LNP sulle delibere del Consiglio Federale" [LNP press release on the Federal Council resolutions]. LegaPallacanestro.com (in Italian). 25 June 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  6. "Fortitudo - Virtus sarà la finale per il campione d'Italia Serie A2" [Fortitudo - Virtus will be the Final for the champion of the Italian Serie A2]. sportando.basketball (in Italian). Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  7. 1 2 "Serie A2 Gold, Monroe e Ramagli i migliori della stagione 2014-15" [Serie A2 Gold, Monroe and Ramagli the 2014-15 season's best]. LegaPallacanestro.com (in Italian). 24 April 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  8. "Damian Hollis è il Novipiù MVP della finale" [Damian Hollis is the Novipiù MVP of the final]. basketnet.it (in Italian). Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  9. Eugenio Dalmasson (Alma Trieste) allenatore dell’anno per la Serie A2 Citroen (in Italian).
  10. Serie A2, Joe Bryant in the quintet “All Time”: he was top scorer with Olimpia Pistoia - pistoiasport.com
  11. Serie A2 (1997-1998) - eurobasket.com
  12. Serie A2 (1998-1999) - eurobasket.com
  13. Serie A2 (1999-2000) - eurobasket.com
  14. Serie A2 (2000-2001) - eurobasket.com
  15. Serie A2 (2002-2003) - eurobasket.com
  16. Serie A2 (2003-2004) - eurobasket.com
  17. Serie A2 (2004-05) - eurobasket.com
  18. Serie A2 (2005-2006) - eurobasket.com
  19. Serie A2 (2007-08) - eurobasket.com
  20. Serie A2 (2008-09) - eurobasket.com
  21. Serie A2 (2009-10) - eurobasket.com
  22. Serie A2 (2010-11) - eurobasket.com
  23. Serie A2 (2011-12) - eurobasket.com

Sources