Achille Polonara (born November 23, 1991) is an Italian professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for

Virtus Bologna Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna, known for sponsorship reasons as Virtus Segafredo Bologna, is an Italian professional basketball club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1929, which makes it the oldest club in Italy and one ...

of the Italian

Lega Basket Serie A The Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) is a professional men's club basketball league that has been organised in Italy since 1920. Serie A is organised by Lega Basket, which is regulated by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP). It is the highest-tier ...

(LBA) and the EuroLeague. He primarily plays at the

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

position.

Professional career

Teramo Basket (2009–2012)

After progressing through the youth ranks of Banca Tercas Teramo, Polonara debuted in the first division, the

Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...

, in the first game of 2009-10 though he rarely featured that season and played sparingly the next. He played more regularly during the 2011-12 season with 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes on average, some coming from a stellar performance against Fabi Shoes Montegranaro in April with 34 points (13/14 from the field) and 9 rebounds for a valuation of 46. This helped the youngster win the Best Player Under 22 award for the season. He was also selected (as a replacement) for the Serie A All Star Game.

Cimberio Varese (2012–2014)

Teramo was struggling financially and filed for bankruptcy during the summer of 2012, forcing Polonara to find a new club, which he did in July, signing a 3-year contract containing various escape clauses with Cimberio Varese. Both parties profited from the deal as Polonara contributed 9.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 23 minutes per game to help the side finish first in the 2012-13 regular season. He posted 5.8 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 15 minutes per game in the playoffs as Varese took eventual champions

Montepaschi Siena Mens Sana 1871 Basket is an Italian professional basketball club based in Siena. It is a section of the sports club Polisportiva Mens Sana, founded in 1871. Under the name Montepaschi Siena, derived from sponsor Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, ...

to a seventh game in the

semifinals A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final mat ...

. Polonara was named as the Best Player Under 22 for the second successive season. The next season saw major players such as Bryant Dunston leave the side, which meant Polonara accrued more playing time. However, Varese had an anonymous season, losing to Oldenburg in the Euroleague qualifying rounds despite Polonara's team high 18 points to exit Europe's premier competition. Demoted to the European second tier EuroCup, Varese finished last in

group C Group C was a category of sports car racing introduced by the FIA in 1982 and continuing until 1993, with ''Group A'' for touring cars and ''Group B'' for GTs. It was designed to replace both Group 5 special production cars (closed top touri ...

to also exit the competition, with Polonara posting 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. The team also finished out of playoff contention in the

league League or The League may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band * ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football Sports * Sports league * Rugby league, full contact footba ...

, though he had figures of 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...

n received a third successive call up to the All Star Game, played in his hometown, winning the Slam Dunk contest. Varese lost its main sponsor during the off-season, meaning that Polonara's reported €180,000 final contract year was too costly, he wasn't prepared to take a pay cut and wanted to play in a European competition to keep progressing so left the side.

Pallacanestro Reggiana (2014–2017)

Polonara joined

Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia Pallacanestro Reggiana, also known for sponsorship reasons as UnaHotels Reggio Emilia, is an Italian professional basketball team based in Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna. It plays in the LBA as of the 2022-23 season. History 1970s Pallacanest ...

in July 2014, signing a three-year contract (with a mutual escape clause after the second year) with the EuroCup playing side. He cited Reggio's practice of playing young Italians as a factor in the decision. Though Reggio were eliminated in the Eurocup group stage, Polonara started all games, ending as the team's second best scorer (11ppg) and best rebounder (6.4rpg) for a team second 14.3 valuation. He even picked up a (shared) Round 7 MVP award after a determinant contribution to the November 2014 win over

Paris-Levallois Metropolitans 92 is a French professional basketball club that is based in Levallois-Perret, in the Paris metropolitan area. The club currently plays in the LNB Pro A, the highest-tier level in French basketball. The club was established in 2007 ...

. Polonara had his breakout year in the Serie A, playing more minutes (31.1) than any other teammate, he also finished as second best scorer and best rebounder to earn the highest valuation of the team. His figures of 8.4 rebounds and 18.1 in valuation per game also ranked him 5th in the league for each, with Gazzetta choosing him as their second most improved player for 2014–15.

Dinamo Basket Sassari (2017–2019)

In 2017, he signed for

Dinamo Basket Sassari Polisportiva Dinamo, commonly known as Dinamo Sassari and currently known as Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari for sponsorship reasons, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Sassari, Sardinia. They are the current European Cu ...

, where he will play for two more seasons in the

Italian Basketball League The Lega Basket A (officially: ''Lega Società di Pallacanestro Serie A'', English: Basket League) is the organizing body, as delegated by the Italian Basketball Federation, of the top division of Italian professional men's basketball league, t ...

finished second in the 2018-2019 Italian Basketball League, losing to

Reyer Venezia S.S.P. Reyer Venezia Mestre, commonly known as Reyer Venezia or simply Reyer, is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in Venice, Veneto. The club currently plays in the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA), the highest tier of basketball in ...

in the finals. An important part of Sassari, who won the

FIBA Europe Cup The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional club basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA's European-wide second level. Clubs mainly qualify for the competition based on their performance in natio ...

that season, Polonara supported his team with an average of 12.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists in FIBA Europe Cup.

Baskonia (2019–2021)

On August 28, 2019, Polonara signed a two-year deal with

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

EuroLeague club Kirolbet Baskonia. He won the Spanish league with Baskonia in the 2019–2020 season. On July 3, 2020, Polonara renewed his contract with the Basques.

Fenerbahçe (2021–2022)

On June 29, 2021, Polonara signed with Fenerbahçe of the Turkish

Basketball Super League Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's ...

(BSL) and the EuroLeague. During the 2021-2022 BSL campaign, he averaged 10 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2 assists per game, helping the team to win the domestic championship. Additionally, he posted 7.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30 EuroLeague appearances. On July 20, 2022, Polonara parted ways with the Turkish powerhouse.

Anadolu Efes (2022–2023)

On July 20, 2022, Polonara signed with

Anadolu Efes Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayii A.Ş.''(lit. Anadolu Efes Brewery and Malt Industries)'' produces and markets beer and malt and non-alcoholic beverages in a wide geographical area comprising Turkey, Russia, the Commonwealth of Independe ...

of the Turkish

(BSL) and the EuroLeague. On January 7, 2023, Polonara parted ways with the Turkish powerhouse.

Žalgiris Kaunas (2023)

On January 7, 2023, Polonara signed with Žalgiris Kaunas of the

Lithuanian Basketball League Lithuanian may refer to: * Lithuanians * Lithuanian language * The country of Lithuania * Grand Duchy of Lithuania * Culture of Lithuania * Lithuanian cuisine * Lithuanian Jews as often called "Lithuanians" (''Lita'im'' or ''Litvaks'') by other Jew ...

(LKL) and the EuroLeague for the rest of the season. On June 15 of the same year, he parted ways with the Lithuanian club.

Virtus Bologna (2023–present)

In July 2023, Polonara signed a two-year deal with

of the Italian

(LBA)) and the EuroLeague. On 24 September 2023, after having ousted

Olimpia Milano Pallacanestro Olimpia Milano, commonly known as Olimpia Milano or as EA7 Emporio Armani Milan after its title sponsor, is an LBA Italian professional basketball team, based in Milan, Italy. Its colors are white and red, and the team is sometimes ...

in the semifinals, Virtus won its fourth Supercup, and the third in a row, defeating 97–60 Germani Brescia.

National team career

Polonara started playing for the youth squads of the Italian national team, first with the Under-18's at the 2009 European Championship. He notably won the silver medal with the U20's at the 2011 European Championship where he was an important contributor, including being the best performer in the semifinal against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Polonara was called up to the preliminary squad of the senior team as a temporary replacement for the injured

Nicolò Melli Nicolò Melli (born 26 January 1991) is an Italian-American professional basketball player and the team captain for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Italian national team. ...

as they prepared for

EuroBasket 2013 EuroBasket 2013 was the 38th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe. It took place from 4 September until 22 September 2013 in Slovenia. The number of participating teams was 24. France defeated Lithuania in th ...

. However he himself later picked an ankle injury and was dropped from the squad. He would rejoin the senior side in 2014, scoring 20 points on his genuine (discounting the All Star Game) debut against

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, he then became a regular in Italy squads. Participating in the successful EuroBasket 2015 qualification, he played in all 4 games with an average of 3.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.5 minutes. He was called up to the squad that would take part in

EuroBasket 2015 EuroBasket 2015 was the 39th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe. It was co-hosted by Croatia, France, Germany, and Latvia, making it the first EuroBasket held in more than one country. It started on 5 S ...

to start on 5 September.

International statistics

Player profile

A left handed

stretch four In basketball, a stretch four (sometimes called a stretch big) is a player at the power forward position that can shoot farther from the basket than a conventional power forward. "Stretch" describes the effect such a player has on the opposition ...

, his athleticism is his primary strength. He's an explosive and energetic player, who's quick and has a great vertical leap, the latter of which has seen him colloquially nicknamed “PolonAir”. Rebounding is his statistical strength on both ends of the court, using his instincts and speed to surprise opponents. In attack he's tough to defend as he can operate on the perimeter, where he's able to beat bigger and slower defenders with a fast first-step or punish loose marking with his jump shot. His great wingspan makes him even more potent, whilst he's also effective and smooth on the floor where he can cover ground quickly. On the defensive side, besides rebounding, he's a great shot blocker thanks to his good timing and balance and also a good

pick and roll The pick and roll (also called a ball screen or screen and roll) in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen (pick) for a teammate handling the ball and then moves toward the basket (rolls) to receive a pass. In the NBA, ...

defender who can switch with the guards thanks to his lateral speed and wingspan. A mayor negative is his lanky frame, it can see him struggle defending against inside players or muscular guards, in offense it also limits his post move when he's back to the basket, making him an imperfect fit for the 4 position. For the 3 position, he lacks safe ball-handling on the dribble and needs to develop his shooting options to be a better fit and develop from his Tweener status. However, he has regularly been noted for his work ethic and determination, helping him improve year on year to add a solid three pointer and the ability to score in traffic to his offensive repertoire, for future development he identifies defensive concentration, 1vs.1 play, especially with the right hand, and better three point shooting as priorities.

Personal

Achille credits his older brother Valerio, who has had a career in the Italian lower leagues, as inspiring him to become a basketball player, the brothers (separated in age by 7 years) are very close. His nephew, Michele Serpilli, also plays basketball, with the Pesaro youth teams, he reportedly is an admirer of Polonara. He cites Amedeo Della Valle,

Riccardo Cervi Riccardo Cervi (born 19 June 1991) is an Italian professional basketball player who last played for Virtus Roma of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). Youth career The Reggio Emilia native joined local side Pallacanestro Reggiana from Basket ...

Giovanni Pini Giovanni Pini (born 25 July 1992) is an Italian professional basketball player for Virtus Roma of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He plays the power forward and center positions. Professional career The Carpi native played for local side ...

and Adam Pechacek as his closest teammates at Reggio Emilia.

Career statistics

EuroLeague

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2019–20 , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, Baskonia , 27 , , 0 , , 12.5 , , .326 , , .225 , , .643 , , 2.8 , , .2 , , .6 , , .4 , , 3.1 , , 4.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2020–21 , 33 , , 29 , , 29.7 , , .512 , , .443 , , .603 , , 6.6 , , 1.9 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , 12.2 , , 16.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2021–22 , style="text-align:left;", Fenerbahçe , 30 , , 4 , , 22.3 , , .436 , , .302 , , .600 , , 4.3 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , .5 , , 7.3 , , 9.0 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, 2022–23 , style="text-align:left;",

, 15 , , 8 , , 11.4 , , .533 , , .429 , , .571 , , 2.2 , , .3 , , .1 , , .5 , , 2.8 , , 4.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", Žalgiris , 20 , , 1 , , 18.0 , , .421 , , .364 , , .684 , , 4.2 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .5 , , 4.6 , , 8.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 125 , , 42 , , 20.1 , , .460 , , .359 , , .617 , , 4.3 , , 1.1 , , .7 , , .6 , , 6.7 , , 9.3

EuroCup

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

Varese Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; la, Baretium; archaic german: Väris) is a city and ''comune'' in north-western Lombardy, northern Italy, north-west of Milan. The population of Varese in 2018 has reached 80,559. It is the c ...

, 10 , , 10 , , 25.3 , , .278 , , .318 , , .625 , , 3.6 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , .5 , , 7.2 , , 6.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 10 , , 10 , , 30.9 , , .406 , , .289 , , .767 , , 6.4 , , 1.3 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 11.0 , , 14.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 16 , , 15 , , 26.0 , , .482 , , .361 , , .615 , , 6.9 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .6 , , 11.1 , , 14.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan=2, Career , 36 , , 35 , , 27.2 , , .413 , , .327 , , .671 , , 5.9 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , .6 , , 10.0 , , 12.1

Domestic leagues

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2009–10 , style="text-align:left;",

Teramo Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo. The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines ( Gran Sasso d'Itali ...

, 5 , , 0 , , 5.0 , , 2.0 , , .750 , , .500 , , 1.000 , , .4 , , .0 , , .2 , , .4 , , .2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 26 , , 1 , , 11.6 , , 3.0 , , .386 , , .100 , , .718 , , 3.2 , , .4 , , .9 , , .6 , , .7 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2011–12 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 0 , , 15.6 , , 8.2 , , .708 , , .341 , , .633 , , 4.5 , , .7 , , .7 , , .7 , , 1.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 28 , , 7 , , 22.9 , , 9.5 , , .543 , , .342 , , .636 , , 5.4 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , 1.6 , , 1.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 30 , , 30 , , 26.6 , , 10.5 , , .593 , , .336 , , .746 , , 4.8 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , .7 , , 1.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 30 , , 27 , , 31.1 , , 12.0 , , .578 , , .375 , , .627 , , 8.4 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .9 , , 1.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 30 , , 29 , , 26.9 , , 10.4 , , .600 , , .349 , , .592 , , 7.1 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .8 , , 1.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 30 , , 20 , , 28.1 , , 10.5 , , .605 , , .379 , , .565 , , 6.8 , , 1.7 , , .6 , , .9 , , .9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;", Sassari , 30 , , 28 , , 27.2 , , 10.9 , , .581 , , .405 , , .596 , , 5.6 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .7 , , .9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;", Sassari , 29 , , 1 , , 21.2 , , 9.9 , , .614 , , .361 , , .763 , , 5.5 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .6 , , .8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", 2019–20† , style="text-align:left;", Baskonia , 23 , , 0 , , 11.0 , , 4.4 , , .619 , , .344 , , .762 , , 2.3 , , .3 , , .2 , , .4 , , .3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 1 , , 14.8 , , 5.8 , , .500 , , .333 , , .778 , , 3.4 , , .7 , , .0 , , .8 , , .8 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2015 , style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 19 , , 19 , , 33.4 , , 12.2 , , .526 , , .348 , , .644 , , 8.1 , , 1.6 , , .9 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the Impeachment of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 16 , , 11 , , 30.1 , , 9.9 , , .662 , , .237 , , .700 , , 7.6 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

, style="text-align:left;", Reggio Emilia , 3 , , 2 , , 23.0 , , 7.3 , , .800 , , .308 , , .400 , , 4.3 , , .3 , , .3 , , .3 , , 1.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

, style="text-align:left;", Sassari , 13 , , 0 , , 21.5 , , 8.7 , , .604 , , .351 , , .640 , , 5.5 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , .8 , , .8 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

† , style="text-align:left;", Baskonia , 7 , , 1 , , 18.4 , , 8.3 , , .652 , , .500 , , .700 , , 4.7 , , .9 , , .6 , , .9 , , .9

Honours

Individual

** Best Player Under 22: 2012, 2013 *

Lega Basket All Star Game The Lega Basket All Star Game, also commonly known as the Italian Basketball All-Star Game, is an all-star game that organised annually by the Lega Basket, in conjunction with RCS Sport and the Italian Basketball Federation. It brings together a s ...

**Participant: 2012–2015 **

Slam dunk contest The NBA Slam Dunk Contest (officially known as the AT&T Slam Dunk) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend. ''Sports Illustrated'' wrote "the dunk contest was the best halftime inventio ...

winner: 2014 * Premio Reverberi: 2015 (best player)

Team

International

* European Under-20 Championship ** 2011 Bilbao

References

External links

EuroLeague profile

Pallacanestro Reggiana profile

Lega Basket Serie A profile

Real GM profile

TBLStat.net Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polonara, Achille 1991 births Living people Basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics BC Žalgiris players Dinamo Sassari players Fenerbahçe men's basketball players Italian expatriate basketball people in Spain Italian expatriate basketball people in Turkey Italian expatriate sportspeople in Lithuania Italian men's basketball players Lega Basket Serie A players Liga ACB players Olympic basketball players for Italy Pallacanestro Reggiana players Pallacanestro Varese players Power forwards (basketball) Saski Baskonia players Sportspeople from Ancona Teramo Basket players 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup players