Former Italy great Gianluca Basile has been impressed with the work done by coach Simone Pianigiani as the team gets ready for the EuroBasket qualifying campaign.

Italy open their Group A campaign against Israel on Monday, and Basile, who plans to attend several games after visiting the team's training camp, likes what he has seen.

"You can see that the team has worked hard and that is showing in their performances," said Basile, an Olympic silver medalist and winner of both gold and bronze at EuroBaskets. "But the hand of Pianigiani is clearly evident, both in defense and the movement of the ball.

"We have a tough group, but there are no easy groups any more because all the teams are good at this level. All have at least some players who are playing at the highest level, playing in major leagues and winning trophies. They're used to winning.

"But we have learned the lesson that there are no easy games any more and we have adjusted. What matters is the experience and how you handle things. Motivation and desire are vital."

Basile played 209 games for Italy, reaching the very pinnacle of the game, and he is eager to see Italy get back there. He also believes Pianigiani is the man to take them there.

"Pianigiani's is a long-term project and we should not be in a hurry," he said. "But also, we should not waste time because Italy deserves to be in the major international competitions. We are hungry for results."