By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
In the very first edition of the Basketball Champions League, back in 2016-17, three Italian teams made their way into the Round of 16 – when it still consisted of a two-game elimination series: Dinamo Sassari, Reyer Venice, and Scandone Avellino. The last two even faced each other.
Ultimately, the team coached by Walter De Raffaele went all the way to the third-place game, losing to AS Monaco, which had Brandon Davies and Dee Bost on board, among others.
Two years later, Virtus Segafredo Bologna was lifted by head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic and guys like Mario Chalmers and Kevin Punter to become the first-ever Italian team capable of winning the competition. Since then, nobody else from the country has even reached the Quarter-Finals.
Remember Walter De Raffaele, who almost reached glory in the competition with Reyer Venice in the first edition of the Basketball Champions League?
Well, the Italian tactician has written the continental history of another club from the Mediterranean country: Bertram Derthona Basket. Only four years after being promoted to the top tier of Italian basketball, they’ve now reached the Round of 16 for the first time in the club’s history.
Talking about first times, Pallacanestro Reggiana had theirs too, entering this competition stage as never before. The question arises: are Italian teams competitive again in the Basketball Champions League?
Derthona’s ambition is translating on the court
Hours before the 2023-24 Basketball Champions League all-Spanish Final between Unicaja Malaga and Tenerife, the competition’s CEO, Patrick Comninos, addressed the media.
Back then, he picked Derthona’s project as promising only some months after the black-and-white side lost 2-0 to Galatasaray in last year’s Play-Ins despite having the home-court advantage.
“For us [Derthona has] a great project, the new Cittadella looks impressive. The project is a very ambitious and interesting one. Now it’s an amazing five-thousand-people arena in the city center which we expect to be a game changer,” he said.
While the newly created Cittadella dello Sport isn’t ready to host domestic and international competitions in 2024-25, it is still translating the club’s ambition to the court.
👻 𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐝 – a year after losing in Play-Ins with homecourt advantage, Derthona took their brooms out and swept their way to their first ever #BasketballCL Round of 16! pic.twitter.com/d3xCm6ndJV
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) January 14, 2025
First of all, they learned from their mistakes. Almost. Despite losing the opportunity to make it directly to the Round of 16 by losing the advantage on points differential to BAXI Manresa in Group G of the Regular Season, they still played Game 1 of the Play-Ins at home.
With last year’s Final Four participant Peristeri up front, the black-and-white team didn’t waste such an opportunity, imposing their superiority like they did to start the season 5-0.
By winning in Italy and repeating themselves on the road in Greece, they managed to reach Group I of the Round of 16, finding two other Greek teams like AEK and Promitheas Patras, while also another newcomer like Wurzburg Baskets. How?
Derthona’s a mix of key factors. They have the experience in Kyle Weems, Justin Gorham, and Arturs Strautins, rim-protection and pick-and-roll danger in Ismael Kamagate, and most importantly one of the deadliest backcourt in the BCL, with Tommy Kuhse and Christian Vital – who has 15.3 points per game.
The Manimal factor?
The black-and-white club reached the Basketball Champions League Round of 16 on their second take, already gaining the experience of playing in a Play-In series. Pallacanestro Reggiana, instead, didn’t have the background of playing in a do-or-die stage in such a competition.
When they first participated in 2022-23, welcoming their fans into the newly renovated PalaBigi, they were eliminated in the Regular Season, at the bottom of a stacked Group B.
After not making it to the Play-Ins two years ago by going up against Pinar Karsiyaka, AEK, and the upcoming champions of Telekom Baskets Bonn, dragged by Tuomas Iisalo and TJ Shorts, the Italians also learned from their past, advancing from the Regular Season.
Facing once again the Germans, despite starting the series on the road in Bonn, Jaylen Barford erupted for 34 points and they survived a thrilling matchup. Game 2, at home, was the icing on the cake.
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝟭𝟲 𝗶𝗻 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻? ❤🔥 Pallacanestro Reggiana are through with a sweep over the 2023 champs Bonn 😳 #BasketballCL pic.twitter.com/9dtETgPnU2
— Basketball Champions League (@BasketballCL) January 15, 2025
Now Reggiana set their sight on another historic chapter of their history, that can already count on an International trophy like the 2013-14 EuroChallenge. In order to reach the Quarter-Finals, however, they’d need to classify among the best two teams in Group K.
Starting their Round of 16 campaign hosted by the two-time champions of La Laguna Tenerife, they will also go up against Aliaga Petkimspor and BAXI Manresa, which can’t be taken for granted.
On their side, however, Dimitris Priftis’ team can spoil the experience of the 35-year-old Kenneth Faried, a former NBA veteran who has exceeded everybody’s expectations since his arrival in Italy. He’s not only displaying his abilities on the court but also helping the 2005-born sensation Mouhamed Faye.
An offensive-minded backcourt composed of Cassius Winston and Jaylen Barford, with Jamar Smith coming off the bench, and everything that Kwan Cheatham and Stephane Gombauld provide, are the ingredients to an interesting recipe. Italians are hungry for more in the Basketball Champions League.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League