ROME (FIBA U18 European Championship 2017) - Guglielmo Caruso knows a thing or two about being in big international games - and having success. Now, the Italian power forward wants to pass along that experience to his teammates at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2017.

Caruso helped Italy grab third place at the U18 competition last year, the country's first podium finish at the age group since taking third in 2005. The 6ft 9in (2.05m) big man was then part of the Italian team that surprised many by finishing second at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 in Cairo.

In both of those tournaments, Caruso was playing alongside point guard Alessandro Pajola as the only two bottom-level players one year younger than the rest of the competition.

"The U18 and U19 tournaments gave us more experience and it will be easier to handle our emotions in the games," said Caruso, who averaged 4.0 points and 3.2 rebounds at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2016 and 3.7 points and 2.7 rebounds at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017 in Cairo."I learned many things in Cairo. The most important is that a solid and united team can do really well in a difficult tournament," Caruso said.

The Naples-native did not set any particularly high goals for the Slovak Republic, where Italy will face Serbia, Spain and Ukraine in Group B.

"The objective of the team is to finish as one of the best eight teams in the tournament," Caruso said.

The power forward is definitely looking forward to another chance to play with Pajola, a teammate of his also at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2015.

Guglielmo Caruso and Alessandro Pajola embrace after beating Spain to reach the Final of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2017. 

"It will be really fun. We have been friends for three or four years. I have played a lot of games with him and we have a good relationship on the court," Caruso said. "I hope that Alessandro and I can give some experience to the rest of the U18 group and we hope to have a good tournament."

Caruso did not start playing basketball until he was 12-years-old, mainly because he was told by family and friends that he should try the sport since he was tall.

"When I began to play basketball I liked Tim Duncan a lot because he was really technical," Caruso said. "But a few years ago I got to know Valerio Amoroso, a Serie A player born in my city. I like how he plays a lot."

Caruso eventually moved from Naples to Turin to play with the PMS Moncalieri club near the city, mainly to work with fellow Naples native Vincenzo Di Meglio, the coach at the club.

"I decided to move to Turin because I knew that it was an important chance to improve myself, and an important factor was the presence of Vincenzo Di Meglio," Caruso said. "At my first first practice with Vincenzo I understood that with him I can improve a lot."Caruso has made major strides and even got some playing time this past season with PMS in the Serie B.

"Playing in the Serie B was a really good chance to grow up and to face up a lot of strong opponents. I learned a lot, mostly from my senior team-mates," he said.

Now it's time Caruso to pass his experience onto his team-mates in Slovak Republic.

FIBA