National Basketball League announces the winner of the eighth edition of LNP Trophy for the Serie A2 Old Wild West for the category “Best Under 21 player” of the regular season. The recognition, reserved for players born in 2003 and later, was assigned on the basis of the votes received from managers, coaches and captains of the Serie A2 Old Wild West clubs.
MIGLIOR UNDER 21 – SERIE A2 OLD WILD WEST 2023/2024
LEONARDO MARANGON (Gesteco Cividale)
Born in Padua on November 29, 2005, 195 cm guard, 85 kg. On his debut in Serie A2, at just 18 years of age, he averaged 3.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.7 minutes in the first phase; figures clearly increased over the clock, with 5.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 19.4 minutes, contributing to the Friulians reaching the playoffs, capable of winning 10 games out of 10 in the second phase. For him, season highs of 15 points, in the away match in Rome against Luiss, on 23 March, and 7 rebounds, against Turin, on 15 March. For Marangon it is the second consecutive recognition as the best Under 21 in the championship, after the one obtained last year in Serie B, at Virtus Padova (9.2 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20.9 minutes).
Marangon, who grew up in the youth sector of Pallacanestro Vigodarzere, started playing in the first team at Virtus Padova, making his debut in Serie B at just 15 years old, in December 2020. After three seasons in the Venetian team in the third national championship, the transfer to Cividale, last summer; has recently renewed his bond with the gialloblù until 2027. Despite his young age, he has already had important experiences at an international level: in March 2022 he participated in a stage of the Euroleague adidas Next Generation Tournament in Varese and in June 2022 he was selected as one of the 60 best European Under 18 talents, participating in the Basketball Without Borders camp in Milan, organized by FIBA and NBA. With the Italian Under 18 national team he played in the last two editions of the European Category Championships (sixth in 2022 in Turkey and ninth in 2023 in Serbia).
Tomorrow, Thursday 9 May, at 3.00 pm, the best coach of the Old Wild West National Serie B 2023/24 will be announced.
Below is the roll of honor of the LNP Trophy, for the “Best Under 21” category of Serie A2:
2015/16 – Leonardo Candi (Eternedile Fortitudo Bologna)
2016/17 – Davide Moretti (De’ Longhi Treviso)
2017/18 – Lorenzo Penna (Andrea Costa Imola)
2018/19 – Andrea Pecchia (Remer Treviglio)
2019/20 – not assigned
2020/21 – Lorenzo Bucarelli (Atlante Eurobasket Rome)
2021/22 – Leonardo Okeke (Novipiù Monferrato)
2022/23 – Matteo Bogliardi (Allianz Pazienza San Severo)
2023/24 – Leonardo Marangon (Gesteco Cividale)
LNP COMMUNICATION AREA