L'Olimpia Milano has clear ideas about Andrea Calzavara
Andrea Calzavara has carved out a relevant space in Apu Udine’s season, going from a simple summer bet to a fixed element in Adriano Vertemati’s rotations. The impact shown in Serie A, the first convocations in the national team and the attentions of the market testify to the growth of the class of 2001 point guard, who has a past in the youth of Pallacanestro Varese (he was born in Gallarate in 2001) and made his bones in Brindisi in the 2024-25 season.
The director of the newly promoted Bianconera is now one of the pillars of the Friulian team and has also begun to attract the interest of EA7 Milan, which wants to accelerate and could put him under contract to leave him one year on loan in Friuli. Particularly appreciated are his game vision, physical presence, and offensive ability, qualities that have allowed him to put himself on the map even in a competitive context. His best league performance came right in Milan, where he put up 17 points on January 4.
Before landing in Serie A, Calzavara had built his reputation through a solid path in the lower categories. Growing up in the youth sector of Varese Basketball, where he had played three national finals in his category, he had then accumulated experience among the seniors in Serie B in the orbit of Campus Varese and Robur et Fides, highlighting himself with figures of 16.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists that had earned him the Adidas award of best under of the month for December 2020. The next step had been the A2 Series, with his debut in Mantua in the 2022-23 season and his confirmation in Monferrato in the following one, where he had produced an average of 13.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 31 minutes of usage.
The experience in Brindisi in the 2024-25 season, in the A2 Series, represented the ultimate stepping stone to the top league. The Apulian club had signed him in the summer of 2024 on a deal through June 30, 2027, and Calzavara had been part of a roster led by coach Piero Bucchi that was aiming for an ascent after relegation. That season proved instrumental in further refining his qualities and convincing Apu Udine to bet on him for the big jump to Serie A.
On the Italian Cup stage, Calzavara also confirmed his value in the knockout games. In the quarterfinal of the Final Eight played in Turin in February against Germani Brescia, he was practically the only one of the Friulians to withstand the offensive impact, finishing with 17 points in a game in which Udine struggled immensely on offense, yielding 78-64 to the Leonessa dragged by Della Valle and Burnell.
On the national team front, head coach Luca Banchi has permanently included him in the Azzurri roster. Already summoned to Banchi’s first gathering in October 2025, Calzavara was also called up in February for the two 2027 World Cup qualifying games against Great Britain, held in Newcastle and Livorno. An important recognition for a player who, in just a few months, has been able to establish himself not only in his own club but also in the orbit of the senior national team, confirming that he is one of the most interesting Italian basketball prospects of his generation.
