John Brown III may return to Italy
The future of Leonessa, which had to give way in the confrontation with Olimpia Milano, remains shrouded in uncertainty. On the one hand rumors continue to circulate about a possible restart from Serie A2, on the other the hypothesis of a stay in the LBA is gaining momentum. A discussion between Mauro Ferreri, CEO of Germani Spa, and Brescia’s mayor Laura Castelletti is expected in the coming days, a meeting that could help clarify future scenarios.
In the meantime, a profound restructuring of the roster is on the horizon. The season that has just ended, however, represented an important chapter for the Biancoblù club, which had already experienced a year of great intensity under Matteo Cotelli, the Brescia-born coach who last summer was promoted to head coach after years as an assistant. At his official presentation, Cotelli had set the course with words laden with belonging: “Pallacanestro Brescia is the team of my city, the one I have always cheered for. To be able to be in Brescia is something unique and exhilarating. Pallacanestro Brescia, for me, is everything.”
Among the names being mentioned at the club is that of Ike Iroegbu, a veteran of Varese and formerly of Treviso, although his signing would require a major investment. The 1995-born point guard, who was born in Elk Grove, California and holds Nigerian citizenship, had made his return to Serie A last season with the Varese jersey, after a previous Italian experience with Treviso. Before coming to Lombardy, Iroegbu had played in Valencia, where he also won the Spanish Super Cup. A profile of international caliber, then, which would explain the size of the investment required to bring him to Brescia.
Also on the club’s notebook is John Brown III, a 34-year-old U.S. forward who had already worn the Brescia jersey in 2022 and had previously made his mark in Treviso; last season he played in Puerto Rico. The 1992 Florida native is back from a stint in Serbia with Red Star, a club that did not renew its contract option on him. With the Belgrade-based Red and White, Brown had made a valuable contribution in the run to the Euroleague Play-Ins, traveling at an average of over five points and three rebounds in the Adriatic League.
As for the other possible reinforcements, the names of Carl Wheatle, currently involved in the Scudetto final with Reyer Venezia, and Giovanni Veronesi, a Brescia-born outside forward who just returned from his experience with Cremona, are being mentioned. On the latter still weighs the echo of an off-court affair that had caused discussion during the season: Veronesi had been the protagonist of a media case after some offensive statements against Dinamo Sassari, his former club, made during a podcast. The outfielder had then published an apology post on Instagram, admitting that he had “used a completely wrong and offensive term” and reiterating that “his sports career has always been marked by the principles of loyalty, good faith and fairness.” An episode that, while formally closed, could weigh in the overall assessment of his profile by the Brescia leadership.
