In a league lacking star power, including freshmen of influence, Gopher newcomer Ralph Sampson III is a player to watch in the Big Ten Conference. Sampson, a 6-foot-11, 220-pound forward-center, has been improving of late and was a major contributor in Minnesota’s rout of Illinois last week and his help will be needed tonight against first place Michigan State in East Lansing.
In the Illinois game Sampson scored 10 points and had seven rebounds. In the previous game against Indiana he had Big Ten career highs in points with 13 and rebounds, eight. He also had a career high in blocks with six.
Sampson is the Gophers’ fourth leading scorer in conference games at 6.3 points and is tied with Paul Carter for the best rebounding average, 4.3. As of Monday, Sampson ranked third in rebounding and fifth in scoring among freshmen in the Big Ten including both conference and nonconference games.
With athleticism, a lanky body and a family pedigree that includes a father who was three times the Naismith national player of the year, Sampson will be intriguing to watch this season and beyond. Illinois coach Bruce Weber said last week that during the next off-season Sampson is likely to add strength and skill, improving as young big men do with extra work.
Already Weber and others are impressed. “He battles. He’s very competitive for a young guy,” Weber said. “He’s big, bulky, makes it tough. You gotta fight your butt off on him. He made his free throws (eight of 10 against Illinois), which is huge for a big guy.
“…I think he’s had a great freshman year, probably better than maybe they expected. He’s played better than I ever anticipated and he’s got a great future for them.”