Treviso: Nicola devises a plan to counter Wiltjer and brings in the newest addition

Nutribullet Treviso head coach Marcelo Nicola previewed the derby against Umana Reyer, scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Taliercio. In a sold-out arena, two teams tied in the standings behind league-leading Virtus Bologna will face off.

“It will be a game that allows us to test ourselves against another opponent like Venice, a team that plays very physically—a challenge we’ll definitely have to respond to appropriately, especially in a heated atmosphere. We’ll also need to be mentally prepared and try to integrate Senglin as best we can, so that everyone—just like against Udine—is ready to do their part.”

Regarding the integration of the latest addition, Jeremy Senglin—who will replace the injured Carter—Nicola had this to say: “Finding his exact replacement wasn’t easy; it’s already a big deal that we’ve found a player who’s ready, in shape, and familiar with the league. On paper, he’s a bit more of a shooter than Chico; we hope he can shake off the travel and jet lag soon and give us a hand.”

The game plan against Venice: “It’ll be very important to exploit each other’s weaknesses. On our end, we’ll need to minimize our rough patches as much as possible, focus on defense, and not let their physicality get to us. Venice was built to go far, even in the Cup, so we’ll need to learn how to bounce back when things get tough.”

Reyer’s star, Canadian Kyle Wiltjer, has been impressive in recent games but is questionable for the derby. Marcelo Nicola doesn’t want to be caught off guard: “As for Wiltjer, we’re preparing as if he’s going to play.”