By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Derthona may sound new to some European basketball enthusiasts, and it makes sense. At the end of the day, they gained promotion to the Italian first division only three years ago, and debuted Internationally just in 2023-24, appearing for the first time in the Basketball Champions League.
However, behind this small city of 26.000 inhabitants in the Northwest part of the Italian peninsula are key ingredients for the sweetest of recipes: ambition, passion, and resources.
Gaining force and credibility in the European landscape, summer brought some fresh and ambitious faces to the black-and-white Italian side coached by Walter De Raffaele. Among others, two versatile American guards are providing usefulness to the team: Tommy Kuhse and Christian Vital.
Looking at the court like a chessboard
If the LBA and BKT EuroCup can feature a former chess prodigy like Jordan Ford, Derthona’s backcourt protagonists are also looking to checkmates on opponents. Tommy Kuhse has known it for a long time, being Jordan Ford’s teammate back in their college days in California.
“[Me and Jordan Ford] were roommates in college and we would play chess against each other almost every day after practice. It was him and then basically the whole team on the other side or whoever wanted to join that day. Four or five on-one, we’d all be discussing trying to play the next move. He would beat us almost every time.“, he recalled his time at St. Mary’s Gaels to Eurohoops.
On the other side of the country, Christian Vital was also moving kings and queens. “I went around New York playing in chess tournaments. I’m very big on chess. I love it. I 100% use [chess knowledge] in real life because you need to know how to use your pieces, just like on the court. There’s definitely a lot of intangibles that go into the game”, he followed on his second biggest passion behind basketball.
Just like in chess, basketball needs you to find the right adjustments on the court, picking different options. Thus far in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season, the offensive versatility has been a checkmate for Derthona, as Tommy Kuhse and Christian Vital divided huge performances equally.
Opening this year’s campaign in Group G against Niners Chemnitz, Tommy Kuhse went off by almost reaching a double-double at 22 points and 9 rebounds; following up with the imposing win over BAXI Manresa, instead, Christian Vital stole the show with 28 points over 5/8 from deep and 5 assists.
He might have learned some offensive moves from Marcus Foster, another Basketball Champions League killer in his past with Rytas Vilnius, as the two won together the 2021-22 G-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. “That’s my brother. I looked at him as a guy who had much more experience than me, so I was definitely willing and wanted to learn from him”, he commented.
“He was also very patient and very open to telling me about his experiences and giving me some of his knowledge. We were fighting for the same minutes, but because of our genuine friendship and brotherhood, that was never a problem. He wanted the best for me, I wanted the best for him. And that’s why we ended up winning the championship together”, Christian Vital remembered.
“Marcus [Foster] is an unbelievable person and an unbelievable basketball player. I was watching him playing with Hapoel Tel Aviv the other day and he just he just caught another body. I have nothing but great things to say about Marcus [Foster]. That’s a brother who I haven’t known for a long time, but someone who I consider a true friend and brother, for sure”, he added.
Learning from college role models
The former with the St. Mary’s Gaels, the latter with the UConn Huskies: Tommy Kuhse and Christian Vital both started appearing in the NCAA back in 2016 and shaped their game following respective university iconic basketball figures.
“[St. Mary’s] have a long lineage of successful point guards. Mickey McConnell and EJ Rowland, who both played overseas. And then Matthew Dovadova and Patty Mills, who made it to the NBA. I was lucky that I got to see all those point guards before me at St. Mary’s. They were always coming back in the summers, giving us whatever advice. It was super helpful”, he touched on his college’s tradition.
Growing up in Mesa, Arizona, the young Tommy Kuhse had to be influenced by the seven seconds or less basketball brought on the NBA stage by Phoenix. “That was the peak of the Suns era back then. So Steve Nash was a guy I idolized”, he also recalled from his childhood.
The same applies even more to Christian Vital and the Huskies. “Being at UConn for four years, you see all the titles, the big moments that Shabazz [Napier], Kemba [Walker], Ray Allen, Ryan Boatright have had in their career. You see them every day when you go to the academic hall in the building, when you go to the court when you go to the locker room”, he recalled.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
“Their success was everywhere. It was very much in front of you. And it definitely gave me inspiration because I wanted to be a part of that. I wasn’t able to win as much as I would have liked to and as much as they did. But I’m Top 10 of all-time in scoring and one of the leaders in three-pointers made. I know I’ve had a positive impact. I wanted to be a part of that, I was able to accomplish that”, he commented.
Now, however, they’re getting knowledge from watching who has been capable of excelling in Europe. “I’m learning about some new guys that I’m starting to watch some more films on. I know [Milos] Teodosic was a former teammate of Kyle Weems, who’s always phenomenal. I could list a hundred point guards out here who could really play ball”, Tommy Kuhse went on to add.
Christian Vital, instead, wants to follow some overseas veterans’ footsteps. “Kevin Punter, Mike James, Kendrick Nunn, Shane Larkin: if I’m in Europe for the rest of my career, that’s the type of guy I see myself becoming. Those are definitely aspirations and goals that I’m pursuing”, he shared.
Waiting to see if he could face one of those EuroLeague superstars, he clearly has one name in mind about opponents in the Basketball Champions League. “Hopefully I can end up playing [Hapoel Holon’s] Jalen Adams since we were at UConn together. I was also able to play against [BAXI Manresa’s] Amida [Brimah] and get the win. He was my senior when I was a freshman”, Vital commented.
Adjusting to overseas basketball through Germany
In the two teammates’ paths, there’s another correlation. Both had their first overseas experience in Germany, despite being significantly different one from another. If Tommy Kuhse joined Ludwigsburg midway through the 2022-23 season, Christian Vital never really started his Gottingen adventure.
UConn Huskies alumni made the decision to come overseas in 2020, but quickly returned to the States for three more years, before returning to Europe to finish the 2023-24 season as FIBA Europe Cup leading scorer. All throughout the competition, he promised 21.9 points per game with Legia Warszawa.
“Gottingen was a great place. They treated me very well. There’s nothing but respect between us, but I wasn’t in a place where I wanted to be overseas, to be completely honest. I hadn’t even given myself a chance to strive to be in the NBA yet. I hadn’t done any workouts because no workouts were going on. It was just a very different time. I felt I did rush that decision to come over here”, he reflected.
Then, he touched on how important was to make a name for himself out of the domestic competition too. “Sometimes if you only play one game a week, it’s much harder to break through on the European side. Europe definitely makes you earn your respect, especially being a young American. Once the opportunity came with Legia when I knew I would play in a European competition I knew that was a much better situation for me to introduce myself to Europe in”, Christian Vital followed.
Crazy That My First Yr In Europe Is Already Over! Lot Of Great Moments & Lessons Learned From The Season! Gotta Thank @LegiaKosz & The City Of Warsaw For The Platform To Shine! We Created History This Past Season! Cup Champs & 1000 Points In One Season Can Never Be Taken Away! pic.twitter.com/ImXxDstG99
— Christian Vital (@ItsSnipa) May 18, 2024
On the other end, Tommy Kuhse chose Germany and stuck with Germany. His adventure with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg lasted only for a few months, but it was crucial especially to shape his defensive-minded ability in Europe. With different angles, different spacing, and different dynamics.
“There are a lot of things different that take a while to learn. It takes time to build those instincts. Being in Europe getting my feet wet and then having a whole another year under my belt I’d like to keep building in that area”, he commented on the adjustments he had to make once coming overseas.
[My time in Ludwigsburg] was huge. Having those three months of experience really jump-started me to start the next season strong with RASTA [Vechta]. I credit that experience tremendously for really getting my career going in the right direction the following year. Obviously there I wasn’t ready to contribute at that level”, Tommy Kuhse recalled about the black-and-yellow team.
As he mentioned, he moved to RASTA Vechta next, where he emerged as one of the most intriguing guards in the whole BBL with 17.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. “I had a great experience there, the fans in Europe just lit me up and got me excited to play every day. I really enjoyed the German league as a whole. I think there are really good clubs out there”, he shared.
Visualizza questo post su Instagram
“It’s really a family environment over there. They look out for you. It’s a great place to play in my opinion. I loved my experience there”, he touched on RASTA Vechta. Moreover, the quick growth of the German orange side is similar to Derthona’s, climbing up the ladders from their respective second divisions to the Basketball Champions League just in a matter of 2-3 seasons.
“They have big aspirations, kind of like Derthona. That obviously drew me to this place. I saw similarities there and I knew the investment was going to be there. Here we have a great facility, we have a tremendous support staff and coaching staff obviously. I think those things are in place to set up the players to succeed in both places”, Tommy Kuhse touched on the two teams’ similarities.
Despite starting the Basketball Champions League Regular Season 0-3, the American guard believes his former team can bounce back quickly. “They have a lot of guys from last year that carried over and are good players. They added very good Americans and they had to fill some holes. I think they need to get a little healthier. Ryan Schwieger, who’s a big part of their team, is injured right now. They’ll be a team that gets better as the cohesion grows”, he commented before moving on to Johann Grünloh.
“He is a tremendous person, he works hard, and he’s very coachable. They give him a tremendous ceiling to grow on top of his natural talents. He had a big coming out year last year. They weren’t really sure if he was going to be able to help yet. And man, he just took off. He had a great year last year. I know there are NBA teams watching him: would be awesome if he could make it to that level. I’m just excited to see where his career can take him“, he praised the 2005-born center’s shining future.
His name says he’s still green, his game says he’s ready – 19yo Grunloh announcing he’s about to have a strong #BasketballCL season! 😤 pic.twitter.com/Yf9P41HuR7
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 4, 2024
A new life in Derthona with master Kyle Weems
Having put their college years and their first overseas experience in Germany and Poland in the drawer of memories, Tommy Kuhse and Christian Vital are ready to make a statement together for Derthona, aiming to succeed in the Basketball Champions League level, dreaming of a Final Four.
Starting the season 2-0, they will travel to Lisbon to extend their unbeaten run against Benfica. “I think we’re in a good place, but we’re nowhere close to where we want to be yet. At the end of the season we want to be much better than we are now, but we found a way to get wins and we’re continuing to grow”, Tommy Kuhse first said about Walter De Raffaele’s team approaching the season.
“I think starting the Basketball Champions League with two home games was helpful. We protected the home court. It’s my first experience as a player in the Champions League, so really leaning on these other guys who have been through it already. They’ve been great. I think we have a good mindset to be successful in the Champions League. And the Italian League is a tough one, you can lose to anybody”, he added before mentioning what struck him the most from Manresa and Chemnitz.
“Manresa just in our film was extremely impressive. I know they had some big wins already to start the year. So a guy I played against a lot in Germany was Derrick Alston Jr., who is a really good player. We were able to do a good job on him and keep him under control to some extent. They’re physical and they play fast. With the size and positional switchability, Chemnitz is a great team too”, Kuhse commented.
He makes it look so easy 💦@BasketballCL | #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/i4RhVqQ8Q4
— Derthona Basket (@DerthonaBasket) October 2, 2024
As mentioned previously, this year’s Derthona is a team full of weapons. Not only with Tommy Kuhse and Christian Vital, but also with the all-around abilities of Arturs Strautins and Justin Gorham, the defensive impact and verticality of Ismael Kamagate, and the experience provided by Kyle Weems.
“I would say [playing with these guys] is very easy. Playing with talent doesn’t phase me, it doesn’t make me feel self-conscious. If anything, it makes me play better because I like to play with the best competition possible. I like to play with great players. It boosts my game, it elevates me. It’s been great to have as strong a roster as we have because we’re able to not really have any weak points on our team and we’re able to play full 40-minute games and win”, Christian Vital shared.
He was followed with the same mentality by Tommy Kuhse. “Top teams in Europe are built like that: any given night, it could be a different guy stepping up. There are talented players across the board. There are guys who are bought into that philosophy and a lot of talented guys. So we like the fact that we can beat you in a lot of different ways”, Derthona’s point guard said.
The former RASTA Vechta player also touched on playing with the French dominator under the rim. “Ismael [Kamagate] has been huge for us. He’s a lot of fun to play the pick and roll with, and he’s a lot of fun to play defense with as well, because you know he’s got your back. So he’s been a stud for us. I think he’s only going to continue to get better. We’re lucky to have him”, he praised the young center.
🚨 Arriving with authority – @DerthonaBasket‘s Ismael Kamagate had 14pts, 9reb, 5blk in his first #BasketballCL game.
Come and get Kamagate highlights for your viewing pleasure 🤩 pic.twitter.com/oMFJKIkelX
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) October 2, 2024
Finally, the two Americans touched on the privilege of sharing the locker room with captain Kyle Weems. “When you’re younger, you want to carve your own path and do all these great things by yourself. But as you get older, you realize you want to be a part of something great. I think he embodies that for us”, Tommy Kuhse first said.
“He’s been a tremendous leader in just the experience of being able to talk to us when stuff’s not maybe going how we want it to be. He keeps us level-headed, keeps our confidence high, and does everything we need him to do as a leader”, he then continued praising the veteran forward.
Christian Vital followed with the same level of inspiration. “He embraced me fully from the very first moment. When he found out that my signing was official here, he made sure to reach out to me, give me his number, and let me know if there was anything I needed to know”, he revealed.
“He’s been phenomenal. He’s a great person and he takes his position as a leader seriously. I’m definitely thankful and grateful for him because he has embraced me with open arms”, Christian Vital then added about Kyle Weems. That’s the way it goes for Derthona this season. Versatility within the black-and-white Italian locker room may be the key to another historic milestone. The growth’s not stopping.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League