Younger Marcaccini Spurns Pro Offer : Monte--for Now--Not Going Home Again in Italy, but in Indiana Instead

Monte Marcaccini, whose older brother signed a lucrative contract to play professional basketball in Italy, has spurned a similar offer and will honor his scholarship to Indiana, his mother said Friday.

Marcaccini, a 6-foot-5 swingman from Notre Dame High and The Times’ 1992-93 Valley Player of the Year, has dual citizenship and has made no secret of his desire to play professionally in Italy. However, the dream remains on hold--at least for now.

G.C. Marcaccini, Monte’s older brother, recently signed a two-year contract with the Italian league and reported to play with Benetton of Treviso on Tuesday. When Italian league officials learned of G.C.’s talented younger brother, preliminary feelers were issued, Alicia Marcaccini said.

“There certainly was more than a little interest,” she said. “They were definitely interested in finding out whether he wanted to play.”

Marcaccini instead will report to Indiana on Aug. 20, where he will begin his freshman year. For a while, though, it wasn’t that simple.

Marcaccini, who led Notre Dame to the Southern Section Division III-A title, visited Italy in June and tagged along while his brother attended workouts in front of Italian league officials.

Monte averaged 19.7 points and 11.4 rebounds as a senior and was widely regarded as one of the best players in Southern California. G.C. averaged 16.6 points and 7.9 rebounds last season at College of the Canyons.

G.C., who will turn 21 in December, is two years older than Monte. Both lived and attended school in Rome through junior high and are fluent in Italian.

When Italian league representatives learned of Monte’s talent and background, their interest was piqued. Monte is unquestionably the better player of the two.

“Monte was there (at tryouts with G.C.), and they look like twins,” Alicia Marcaccini said. “I’m not going to say that the subject (of a pro contract) didn’t come up.”

She was unable to provide specific dollar figures on G.C.’s contract, because, she said, it is laden with incentives and clauses. She did call the deal “very lucrative.” Regarding Monte, she said: “I wouldn’t go so far as to say there was something on the table.”

An NCAA representative said Friday that Marcaccini’s college eligibility will not be affected by fielding the Italian league’s offer.

Monte, who like his brother was born in the United States, has remained tight-lipped about the affair, declining to comment on the specifics of the Italian overtures. In fact, when asked about fast-spreading rumors that he also was poised to sign with Benetton, he seemed mystified.

“I’m still going to Indiana,” he said.

Said his mother: “Indiana’s the heart of basketball country, and Indiana’s where he thinks he should be.”

Alicia said that during the family’s interaction with the Italian league representatives, they learned that Monte needed permission from league officials in order to play at a four-year college in the United States. Otherwise, he would have forfeited eligibility in the Italian professional league. G.C.’s Italian league eligibility was not lost because he never played at a four-year school, she said.

“It got to the point where we were thinking, ‘Maybe we shouldn’t be taking (the Italian citizenship) for granted,” Alicia said. “They said that an Italian can’t just go and play for France or wherever, then come back and play as an Italian without advance permission.

“We were glad we got that squared away before (Monte) started at Indiana.”

Teams in the Italian league are allowed two Americans per team.

Someday, though, Monte expects to be playing in Italy.

“Believe me, he’s looking for w ard to it,” his mother said. “That hasn’t changed one little twiddle through all of this.”