Mars’ Michael Carmody celebrates international basketball title in Italy

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 | 7:36 PM

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Vincitore!

Mars sophomore Michael Carmody and his father/coach Rob Carmody celebrated an international basketball title Tuesday when Team Ohio won the Junior International Tournament in Lissone, Italy.

Carmody was part of a roster that featured six players from Ohio and two from Utah. Teams from the United State, Canada and Europe competed in the tournament.

“It is an incredible experience,” Rob Carmody wrote in a text message from Italy. “The players stay with a host Italian family, the gyms are sold out and there is something special about hearing your national anthem in another country.”

The Carmodys left for Europe on March 27, one day after competing for the state championship in Hershey. They had to delay their flight after the PIAA finals were postponed four days by snow.

This was the third time that the Carmodys traveled to Italy for the tournament. Michael’s older brother Robby, a regular on the AAU circuit with the Ohio Basketball Club, competed in the event the past two years, but did not this time.

To win this year’s title, Team Ohio defeated host club AP Galvi of Lissone and Urspring from Germany in pool play. In bracket play, the team defeated KK Zadar of Croatia, 121-64, and Pallacanestro Reggiana of Italy, 82-59. In the championship, Team Ohio defeated Italy’s 18u national champion Virtus Bologna, 85-55.

This was the 26th year for the event, which uses FIBA rules. The games feature a 24-second shot clock, an extended 3-point line and 10-minute quarters.

Team Ohio featured Jaxson Hayes, a 6-11 Texas recruit from Cincinnati, and Matthew Van Komen, a 7-4 junior from Pleasant Grove, Utah, who has Gonzaga among his college offers. They also had Utah commit Rylan Jones, a 6-1 point guard from Logan, Utah.

Carmody, who’s 6-6, has D1 football offers from Pitt, Maryland, Michigan, Temple and Wisconsin. He was one of two sophomores on the roster.

“Mike had a great tournament,” Rob Carmody said. “The physical style of play fit him very well. And playing with the size we had allowed him to get out on the wing a bit. More important was the experience of being there and living in another culture. Pretty cool.”

https://www.facebook.com/jitlissone/posts/10156171847384687

Congrats to @MichaelCarmod10 and Coach Carmody for helping Team Ohio capture the Junior International Tourney Championship in Lissone, Italy. pic.twitter.com/jM44MI8YlI

— MarsHSHoops (@MarsHSHoops) April 3, 2018

Chris Harlan is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at charlan@tribweb.com or via Twitter @CHarlan_Trib.