Travis Diener had a dream job at his old university with the basketball program he’d helped to restore to national prominence. Going back to professional basketball was tempting enough to make Diener think about it every offseason, but the 35-year-old knew that leaving Marquette required what he called, “the exact perfect situation.”
That opportunity arrived in late June, when Meo Sacchetti, Diener’s former coach in Italy’s top basketball league, offered Diener the chance to return to Italy. As an added bonus, he’d get to team up with his best friend and cousin Drake Diener.
“It seemed like something that would come pretty close to a perfect situation,” Travis Diener said.