Davide Moretti Explained

Davide Moretti
Birth Date:25 March 1998
Birth Place:Bologna, Italy
Nationality:Italian
League:LBA
Team:Reyer Venezia
Position:Point guard
Number:9
Height M:1.90
Weight Kg:81
College:Texas Tech (2017–2020)
Career Start:2014
Years1:2014–2015
Team1:Pistoia
Years2:2015–2017
Team2:Treviso
Years3:2020–2023
Team3:Olimpia Milano
Years4:2021–2023
Team4:V.L. Pesaro
Years5:2023–2024
Team5:Pallacanestro Varese
Years6:2024–present
Team6:Reyer Venezia
Highlights:

Davide Moretti (born March 25, 1998) is an Italian professional basketball player for Reyer Venezia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Early life and career

In addition to basketball, Moretti grew up in Bologna, Italy playing soccer, tennis, and volleyball.[1] In the 2013–14 season, he played for prominent Italian amateur club Stella Azzurra.[2] In 2013, Moretti joined Stella Azzurra at the Città di Roma regional tournament for the Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament.[3] On July 9, 2014, he signed with Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) club Pistoia Basket 2000, where his father Paolo Moretti was head coach.[4] Through 12 games, Moretti averaged 1.3 points in 6.9 minutes per game. For the next two seasons, he joined Universo Treviso Basket of the Serie A2 Basket.[5] In the 2016–17 season, Moretti was named the best under-22 player in the Serie A2 after averaging 12.6 points, 2.3 assists, and 0.9 steals per game.[6]

College career

Moretti took his father's advice to improve as a basketball player through college basketball.[1] On June 12, 2017, he signed an Athletic Scholarship Agreement to play for Texas Tech in the NCAA Division I.[7] Moretti was drawn to the program in part because head coach Chris Beard had experience coaching the Swiss national team and was familiar with European styles of play.[1] He chose Texas Tech over UConn, Indiana, and Utah.[8] Moretti mainly came off the bench in his freshman season, averaging 3.5 points, 1.1 assists and 0.8 rebounds per game.[6] He was named to the 2018 All-Big 12 Conference Academic Rookie Team.[6]

Moretti became a regular starter as a sophomore. On January 26, 2019, he scored a career-high 21 points in a 67–64 win over Arkansas.[9] By the end of the regular season, he was shooting 92.2 percent on free throws, which ranked second in the NCAA Division I. Moretti won the Elite 90 Award for academic excellence and earned third-team All-Big 12 recognition.[10] He averaged 11.5 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Coming into his junior season, Moretti was named to the Bob Cousy Award Watch List.[11] He was named Honorable Mention All-Big 12.[12] As a junior, Moretti averaged 13 points, 2.3 assists, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game and started all 31 games.[13] On May 23, 2020, he decided to forego his senior season at Texas Tech to pursue a professional career in Europe, signing with agent Miško Raznatović of BeoBasket.[14]

Professional career

On May 26, 2020, Moretti signed a multi-year contract with Olimpia Milano of the Lega Basket Serie A and the EuroLeague.[15]

In the season 2021–22, he plays on a loan contract for V.L. Pesaro.[16] [17]

On July 4, 2023, he signed with Pallacanestro Varese of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).[18]

On June 29, 2024, he signed with Reyer Venezia of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA).[19]

National team career

Moretti has often represented Italy in FIBA junior tournaments. He averaged 10.4 points per game at the 2014 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Dubai, leading the Italian national under-17 team to ninth place.[20] Moretti guided the Italian under-19 team to a bronze medal at the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship in Samsun, after averaging 14.8 points and five assists per game.[21]

Career statistics

Led NCAA Division I

College

|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2017–18| style="text-align:left;"| Texas Tech| 37 || 1 || 12.3 || .336 || .317 || .857 || .8 || 1.1 || .4 || .0 || 3.5|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19| style="text-align:left;"| Texas Tech| 38 || 38 || 31.6 || .498 || .459 || style="background:#cfecec;"| .924* || 2.1 || 2.4 || 1.1 || .0 || 11.5|-| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20| style="text-align:left;"| Texas Tech| 31 || 31 || 34.1 || .419 || .383 || .902 || 1.7 || 2.3 || 1.2 || .0 || 13.0|- class="sortbottom"| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career| 106 || 70 || 25.6 || .436 || .399 || .906 || 1.5 || 1.9 || .9 || .0 || 9.1

Personal life

Moretti is the son of Paolo Moretti, who had a 15-year professional career in Europe and won a silver medal with the Italian national team at EuroBasket 1997. After retiring from playing during Davide's childhood, Paolo began coaching professionally and won the LBA Coach of the Year award with Pistoia in 2014.[22] Moretti has a younger brother Niccolò, who plays basketball in Italy at the junior level.[23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Martinez . Quinton . From soccer-crazed Italy to the Final Four, Moretti's journey has one constant: family . . April 6, 2019 . April 5, 2019.
  2. Web site: Basketball runs in the family for Moretti . . April 5, 2019 . July 29, 2014.
  3. Web site: Moretti, Davide . . April 6, 2019.
  4. Web site: Il Pistoia Basket ingaggia Davide Moretti . La Voce di Pistoia . April 6, 2019 . Italian . July 9, 2014.
  5. Web site: Da Treviso agli Stati Uniti d'America: Davide Moretti giocherà con i Texas Tech . TrevisoToday . April 6, 2019 . Italian . June 11, 2017.
  6. Web site: Davide Moretti . Texas Tech University . April 6, 2019.
  7. Web site: Men's Basketball Inks Davide Moretti to ASA . Texas Tech University . April 6, 2019 . June 12, 2017.
  8. Web site: Silva Jr. . Carlos . Moretti grows into second family, enjoys success with No. 14 Texas Tech . . April 6, 2019 . March 24, 2018.
  9. Web site: RECAP: No. 14 Red Raiders 67, Arkansas 64 . Texas Tech University . April 6, 2019 . January 26, 2019.
  10. Web site: Moretti Earns NCAA Elite 90 Award . . April 6, 2019 . April 4, 2019.
  11. Web site: Texas Tech's Davide Moretti Makes Bob Cousy Award Watch List . KKAM . November 14, 2019.
  12. Web site: Men's Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced . . March 8, 2020 . March 8, 2020.
  13. News: Johnson . Jarret . Report: Moretti's leaning toward returning for senior season . April 10, 2020 . 247 Sports . April 6, 2020.
  14. Web site: Davide Moretti leaving Texas Tech and turning pro for Milan. Sportando. May 23, 2020 . May 23, 2020.
  15. Web site: Milano officially signs Moretti . EuroHoops . May 26, 2020 . May 26, 2020.
  16. Web site: Davide Moretti va in prestito alla Victoria Libertas Pesaro . olimpiamilano.com . 14 August 2021 . Italian .
  17. Web site: Davide Moretti firma con la Carpegna Prosciutto Basket Pesaro! . victorialibertas.it . 14 August 2021 . Italian .
  18. Web site: Nuova Firma Per Varese: Ecco Davide Moretti. July 4, 2023. pallacanestrovarese.it. it. July 28, 2023.
  19. Web site: Ufficiale: Davide Moretti È Un Giocatore Dell’umana Reyer. June 29, 2024. reyer.it. it. August 17, 2024.
  20. Web site: Davide Moretti . . April 5, 2019.
  21. Web site: Johnson . Jarret . Texas Tech Lands Italian Hoops Star . . April 5, 2019 . June 10, 2017.
  22. Web site: Bloomquist . Wes . Spotlight: Davide Moretti . Texas Tech University . April 1, 2019 . November 30, 2018.
  23. Web site: Silva Jr. . Carlos . Texas Tech's Moretti set to play for Team Italy . . April 5, 2019 . July 2, 2018.