AI Weighs In and Takes a Stand on the Two Teams Relegated from the Basketball A League
We asked AI how the regular season of the top men’s basketball league will play out. Here’s its answer
On the eve of the first game—and based on current rosters, roster depth, technical consistency, and preseason indicators—I can put together my own comprehensive projection for the 2026–27 LBA regular season. Milan has assembled an extremely deep roster; Virtus has undergone major changes; Venice has maintained a strong core, while Varese and Trento were among the most impressive teams in the preseason. The two Rome-based teams have shown promising signs: BC Roma went 5-1 and Maxima went 4-2 in the preseason. Sky Sport
My regular-season predictions
1 Olimpia Milan 24-6
2 Virtus Bologna 22-8
3 Reyer Venice 20-10
4 Varese 19-11
5 Maxima Roma 18-12
6 Tortona 17-13
7 Trento 17-13
8 Napoli 16-14
9 BC Roma SPQR 15-15
10 Reggio Emilia 14-16
11 Cantù 13-17
12 Treviso 12-18
13 Trieste 11-19
14 Verona 9-21
15 Udine 8-22
16 Scafati 5-25
In my view, Milan starts the season with the most well-equipped roster to tackle the 30-game schedule: Cole, Thompson, Hall, Guduric, Bolmaro, Peters, Wright, Booker, Burnell, Akele, and Mathews give Poeta a rotation that’s almost excessive for the Italian league.
I rank Virtus second, but with a bigger question mark. Carr, Frazier, Kessler Edwards, Alston, Klintman, Moore Jr., and Diouf bring talent and athleticism, but the roster has been completely overhauled, and they also have a new head coach in Mumbrù.
The team I’m very bullish on is Venezia: Watson, Green, Parks, and Wiltjer, along with Bowman, Rice, Olinde, Tessitori, and Boakye, mean depth and plenty of scoring potential. That’s why I consider them the top contender to slot right in behind the two powerhouses.
My surprise pick is Varese. McDowell-White, Della Valle, Hunter Hale, David Duke Jr., Alviti, Isaiah Roby, and Kamagate strike me as a very interesting core, and their 6-2 preseason record reinforces that initial impression. Trento, too, at 6-1 in friendlies, could exceed expectations.
Then there’s Maxima Roma, which is extremely difficult to pin down. The starting five of Holiday, Moon, Ryan, John Brown, and Bilan looks impressive on paper for a rookie team, with Lemar, Wheatle, Carey, and Veronesi coming off the bench. If they find chemistry quickly, my fifth-place prediction might even be conservative.
In the playoff zone, I see a huge battle between Tortona, Trento, Napoli, and BC Roma. Napoli, in particular, has put together an intriguing squad with Dowtin, Ramsey, Spissu, Petrucelli, and Tarczewski; BC Roma has Mannion, Corey Davis, Strautins, Simonovic, and plenty of offensive talent.
The team I’m most torn about is Cantù: Christon-Gravett-Flagg-Grazulis-Brown is a starting five that deserves better than the 11th-place ranking I’ve given them, but their 0-6 preseason record makes me cautious for now.
At the bottom, I see Verona, Udine, and Scafati, in particular, locked in a battle to avoid relegation. Watch out for Verona, though: Andrews, Brockington, and especially Mike Tobey give this newly promoted team the potential to prove my 14th-place ranking completely wrong.
