Sampson powers Minnesota past Indiana

Throughout the 2009 Big Ten basketball season, the Minnesota Golden Gophers had not received a defining performance from one of their big men. Sunday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind., Ralph Sampson III stepped out of the shadows to stand tall for a team that needed some power in the low post. Sampson's 13 points and timely rebounding enabled Minnesota to beat Indiana, 67-63, at Assembly Hall, improving UM's league record to 5-3.
 
Minnesota's rise to the upper half of the Big Ten has been built on the backs of the Gophers' guards and wing players. Coach Tubby Smith has been able to get offensive production from perimeter shooting and dribble penetration, all while seeing his defense generate steals and easy baskets in a number of critical situations. However, after back-to-back conference losses to Northwestern and Purdue, it was impossible to deny the fact that Minnesota's lack of a presence on the low blocks was limiting the effectiveness of the guards. Opposing defenses could have extended, knowing that entry passes into the post wouldn't amount to much. Other teams' centers, if possessing any appreciable degree of skill, could generally be counted on to gouge the Gophers within six feet of the basket. Given the rugged nature of Big Ten basketball, Minnesota had to see one of its young pivot players emerge from obscurity.

Sampson, the son of the Virginia center who made a major mark on the college game, answered the call for Tubby's troops.
 
For one thing, Sampson played a very effective game, scoring his 13 points based on 6-of-9 shooting. Production can't be limited to the sheer number of points a player scores; in basketball, the key to point production is that it comes from a limited amount of shots. Sampson, a 6-11 freshman, lent a very economical quality to the Minnesota attack against Indiana, and that efficiency made the Gophers harder to guard... enough, at any rate, to pull out a win.

 

Sampson's biggest individual play came in the final two minutes of regulation time with his team leading, 62-59. UM's Blake Hoffarber missed a three-point shot from the left wing, and a rugby scrum ensued in the middle of the lane. Sampson, amidst several pairs of grasping hands, claimed the loose ball, powered to the basket, and laid the ball in to nudge the Gopher lead to five. Indiana scored on two of its last few possessions, but because Minnesota led by five and not three, thanks to Sampson's bucket, the Gophers enjoyed a crucial cushion in the game's dying moments. When Gopher guard Lawrence Westbrook forced an errant 25-footer from Indiana guard Devan Dumes with three seconds left, that bucket by Sampson became that much bigger... and Minnesota's conference losing streak was over.
 
Ralph Sampson III is destined for great things in future seasons, but for now, the young man with the famous basketball name should be content just to contribute to his team's rise. With more performances such as the one he delivered against the Hoosiers, Sampson will move mountains for the team that's already climbing high in the Big Ten Conference.

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