CHRISTIAN VITAL
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 6-2 (188 cm)
WEIGHT: 187 lbs (85 kg)
BIRTHDATE: March 21, 1997 (Queens Village, New York)
HIGH SCHOOL: St. Thomas More Prep (Oakdale, Connecticut)
UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE: University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (2016-2020)
TWITTER / INSTAGRAM: @I_AMCV / @snipacv
HOW ACQUIRED: Signed as a free agent on May 12, 2022.
YEARS PRO: 1
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
2022: Averaged 17.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 steals in 15 games with the Hamilton Honey Badgers … Started 13 games … Scored double-digit points in all but two of his appearances, with five games of 20 or more … Recorded a steal in all but one of his 15 appearances … Notched seven multi-steal games … Ended the regular season as the league leader in steals with a 2.2 per-game average … Matched his professional career high with 31 points June 16 vs. Newfoundland … Scored 27 points in a winning effort June 4 at Scarborough … Scored 18 points to go along with a season-high eight rebounds June 10 against Saskatchewan … Nabbed a season-high five steals June 2 vs. Guelph … Scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Hamilton’s semifinal playoff victory August 12 at Ottawa … Totaled 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and one steal in Hamilton’s CEBL Final victory August 14 over Scarborough en route to CEBL Finals MVP honours … Announced as a member of the Toronto Raptors 2022 NBA Summer League roster July 4, 2022.
2021-2022: Averaged 12.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 21.1 minutes in 45 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers … 2022 NBA G-League Champion with the Vipers … Scored 18 points off the bench in title-clinching Game Two on April 14 against the Delaware Blue Coats … Scored a career-best 31 points in a 134-110 victory January 25 against the Santa Cruz Warriors … Recorded five steals twice (February 1 vs. Stars, March 30 vs. Clippers) … Posted a double-double with 15 points and a season-high 10 assists in his second start of the year, beating the Skyforce 125-89 on March 17 … Rio Grande Valley was 16-4 when he scored 15 or more points … Vipers teammate and G League MVP Trevelin Queen called him “the unsung hero of our team.”
UNIVERSITY / COLLEGE CAREER
Averaged 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.7 steals in 127 career games for UConn … Ended his Husky career with all-time program ranks of second in three-point field goals, third in steals, and tenth in points.
2019-20: Led the Huskies in three major statistical categories with averages of 16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.5 steals in 31 games … Ranked third on the team in three-point field goal percentage (.346) … Awarded AAC Player of the Week for two consecutive weeks (March 2 and 9, 2020) … Named to All-American Athletic Conference (AAC) First Team … Set the all-time AAC record for career three-pointers, hitting a total of 265 in his four-year career.
2018-19: Averaged 14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while starting 29 of his 33 games played … Led the team in total season points (470), three-point field goal percentage (.409), and steals per game (1.6) … Scored in double figures 27 times … Scored 1,000th career point January 19 against Tulane.
2017-18: Averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while appearing in all 32 games … Scored in double figures in 25 of 32 games … Posted a 30-point performance in only 26 minutes coming off the bench on November 19 against Boston University … Led the team in scoring nine times … Led the team in rebounds per game (5.4), steals (50), and free throw percentage (.846).
2016-17: Averaged 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists as a freshman … Scored in double figures in 10 of the team’s last 13 games … Had a season-high 18 points and nine rebounds in the AAC Championship semifinals March 11 against Cincinnati … Awarded AAC Rookie of the Week on January 30.
PERSONAL
Son of Rose Vital-Williams … Is the oldest of five siblings (one sister and four brothers) … Favourite meal is his mother’s steak and white rice … Has played chess competitively since he was five years old … Honour roll student in college and high school … Averaged 16.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on the way to a 31-7 record and National Prep Championship Final appearance in his senior season at St. Thomas More Prep … Selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic Regional Game in 2016, where he scored 13 points to go along with four steals and seven assists … Played AAU basketball with New York’s PSA Cardinals … Ranked as a Top-100 recruit in the nation following his senior season.
PROFESSIONAL STATISTICS
Year | Team | G | MIN | PTS | 2FGP | 3FGP | FT | RO | RD | RT | AS | PF | BS | ST | TO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Hamilton Honey Badgers | 15 | 406 | 261 | 46-84 | 46-126 | 34-40 | 26 | 46 | 72 | 50 | 41 | 6 | 31 | 28 |
2021-22 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | 45 | 949 | 574 | 104-238 | 89-262 | 56-71 | 43 | 111 | 154 | 135 | 94 | 14 | 63 | 74 |
Totals | 60 | 1,355 | 835 | 150-322 | 135-388 | 90-111 | 69 | 157 | 226 | 185 | 135 | 20 | 94 | 102 |
Averages
Year | Team | G | MIN | PTS | 2FGP | 3FGP | FT | RO | RD | RT | AS | PF | BS | ST | TO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | Hamilton Honey Badgers | 15 | 27.1 | 17.4 | .548 | .365 | .850 | 1.7 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 3.3 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 1.9 |
2021-22 | Rio Grande Valley Vipers | 45 | 21.1 | 12.8 | .437 | .340 | .789 | 1.0 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
Totals | 60 | 22.6 | 13.9 | .452 | .348 | .811 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 0.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 |
Year | Team | G | MIN | PTS | 2FGP | 3FGP | FT | RO | RD | RT | AS | PF | BS | ST | TO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019-20 | Connecticut | 31 | 998 | 507 | 88-197 | 66-191 | 133-148 | 39 | 156 | 195 | 81 | 81 | 5 | 78 | 83 |
2018-19 | Connecticut | 33 | 995 | 470 | 71-138 | 79-193 | 91-112 | 34 | 151 | 185 | 79 | 82 | 1 | 52 | 77 |
2017-18 | Connecticut | 32 | 1,013 | 476 | 70-146 | 68-214 | 132-156 | 25 | 148 | 173 | 53 | 73 | 1 | 50 | 56 |
2016-17 | Connecticut | 31 | 882 | 282 | 40-93 | 52-142 | 46-65 | 18 | 92 | 110 | 56 | 80 | 5 | 35 | 41 |
Totals | 127 | 3,888 | 1,735 | 269-574 | 265-740 | 402-481 | 116 | 547 | 663 | 269 | 316 | 12 | 215 | 257 |
Year | Team | G | MIN | PTS | 2FGP | 3FGP | FT | RO | RD | RT | AS | PF | BS | ST | TO |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019-20 | Connecticut | 31 | 32.2 | 16.4 | .447 | .346 | .899 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
2018-19 | Connecticut | 33 | 30.2 | 14.2 | .514 | .409 | .813 | 1.0 | 4.6 | 5.6 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 2.3 |
2017-18 | Connecticut | 32 | 32.0 | 14.9 | .479 | .318 | .846 | 0.8 | 4.6 | 5.4 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 1.8 |
2016-17 | Connecticut | 31 | 28.5 | 9.1 | .417 | .366 | .708 | 0.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 1.3 |
Totals | 127 | 31.0 | 14.0 | .469 | .358 | .836 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 5.2 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 2.0 |