Ralph Sampson III is in the final months of his college basketball career but the Gophers 6-11 senior center appears no closer to fulfilling his potential now than when he was a freshman.
A gifted athlete and the son of former college Player of the Year Ralph Sampson II, the younger Sampson has compiled similar stats and performed inconsistently this season as in the past. Tonight the Gophers play at Iowa—halfway through their Big Ten regular season schedule—and Minnesota fans wonder what contributions Sampson will make to a Minnesota team (4-5 in conference games, 16-6 overall) that could qualify for the NCAA tournament with a strong finish in February and March.
Last Saturday night, with his dad in town to watch him, Sampson played only 20 minutes before fouling out in Minnesota’s game against Illinois at Williams Arena. He had three rebounds and five points while making two of eight shots.
That performance contrasted with Minnesota’s game at Illinois in late December when the Duluth, Georgia native scored 22 points and had nine rebounds in 35 minutes on the floor.
During Sampson’s first three seasons he shared playing time with center Colton Iverson and with Iverson having transferred after his junior season last spring it was expected that Sampson’s minutes and contributions would increase. But he’s averaging 22.9 minutes per game, the fewest since his freshman season. His scoring average of 8.2 points and rebounds of 4.8 per game this season are almost identical to career stats of 8.2 and 5.1.
Sampson’s lack of aggressiveness has limited his success and frustrated fans who often target him for criticism. His dad was asked if Sampson can play more assertively for coach Tubby Smith.
“I know he is (capable),” Ralph II said. “I’ve worked with the kid for all my life. It’s just how do you do that? How do you do that with the system and don’t break the system? Tubby has that system where five guys play five minutes, and five guys play the next five minutes. That’s a little different. …”
Sampson’s dad, who at 7-4 was a four-time All-American at Virginia, said ample minutes on the floor allow big body players to have a feel for the game, becoming more comfortable with themselves, teammates and opponents. What’s evident, though, is the younger Sampson isn’t earning a lot of extra minutes in the Smith system and he doesn’t look like a player enjoying his time on the floor.
Does fan criticism bother the Gophers center? Ralph II said fans should consider that unlike Iverson and guard Devoe Joseph, his son didn’t transfer from Minnesota. Ralph III is the only player remaining from his freshman class at Minnesota. “…You didn’t transfer like everybody else did and you stuck it out,” Ralph II said. “I think they should appreciate that.”
Sampson said his son thought about transferring from Minnesota to another school. “Every year, like everybody else,” Ralph II said. “First year to this year. I wouldn’t let him leave. We started it, we’re gonna finish it.”
The Gophers’ team potential the last two seasons has lessened because of several players leaving the program. The departed include forward Royce White who has become an All-American candidate at Iowa State in his first season. Joseph is Oregon’s leading scorer at 15.4 points.
“The question is why did they leave?” Ralph II asked. “What was going on that made them leave and wanted to leave? I am not going to get into a lot of details with it because I don’t know the internal things about it. …”
What the older Sampson knows is he believes in his son’s potential to become a better player. He acknowledges, too, that Ralph III is a young man of character who has never given his father problems. “He’s a great kid,” Ralph II said. “He’s the best in the world. The sky’s the limit if he wants to work at it.”
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