Samson plays like one in the Garden
NEW YORK – Samson Johnson loves playing at Madison Square Garden and this year, the Garden has loved him back.
His breakout game in November (15 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal) helped the Uconn men beat Texas to win the Empire Classic. But since then, Johnson only had three games in double figures and was limited by foul trouble, averaging over 3.3 fouls over the next 26 games.
In the Big East Tournament quarterfinal against Xavier on Thursday, the 6-foot-10 junior was Uconn’s most important player in the first half. He checked in around the 16-minute mark with the Huskies off to a slow start, trailing 10-2. When he exited five minutes later, he’d helped bring Uconn all the way back and gave the Huskies their first lead of the game with a layup in transition.
“I don’t know what it is, but every time we come to this building I just feel something that’s really different about it that fuels me to play better,” he said after the Huskies pulled away in the second half and won, 87-60.
Johnson had eight points at halftime and was a teambest plus-seven in his eight minutes on the court as starter Donovan Clingan struggled to get going. Clingan upped his intensity level in the second half and the Huskies pulled away, only needing Johnson for three minutes in the second 20 – he slammed home two alleyoops in that limited time.
“What the combination
of those two guys gave us, it looked a lot like what we were getting from our centers last year. Samson was fabulous,” coach Dan Hurley said.
Johnson finished with 12 points (5-for-6 from the field) in 11 minutes, with two rebounds and an assist. It was his first game this
season without being called for a foul.
“He went through a stretch of games where he wasn’t being as effective as he was when Donovan was out in that early part of the season,” Hurley said. “I just think he’s gotten back to the things that he does well. He’s learned to handle the
physicality of these games and he was a major difference-maker.”
Karaban only cares about rings
When Hurley found out he was voted Big East Coach of the Year, knowing Tristen
Newton wasn’t voted Player of the Year and Alex Karaban hadn’t been recognized with any postseason nods, it was “awkward,” he said. “I’d say that kind of spoiled it a little bit for all of us.”
Karaban, who was one of two players nationally to join the exclusive 50/40/90 club, averaging 50.3% shooting from the field, 40.1% from 3 and 90.2% from the free throw line, has taken the high road.
“It definitely motivates me, seeing the list. It motivated me last year, and we got a ring out of it,” he said. “All I care about is the rings. As long as we get rings, the Big East rings, national championship rings, that’s all that matters to me. The people that know me and the people that are within this Uconn circle know the value I bring and that’s all that means to me.”
Calhoun, Pitino convene on Big East Shootaround
After not speaking in a regular conversation for over 20 years, Uconn legend Jim Calhoun and current St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, a pair of Hall of Famers, convened on the Big East Shootaround set at MSG Thursday night.
“This gentleman over here and I go back from Boston University-northeastern with 400-500 people in the stands and 15 fights a game,” Pitino said. “I told Taliek Brown, who won a championship with Coach (and is now an assistant at St. John’s), I said, ‘We didn’t always get along but there’s nobody in basketball, no one, I respect more than this man.’”
“I think what people don’t realize,” Calhoun responded, “respect is all you want. You don’t have to love me, I don’t have to love you, because we’re chasing the same prize, and they don’t see that. They really don’t.”
Game respects game
Hurley grabbed the attention of Xavier guard Quincy Olivari, the Big East’s second-leading scorer (19.4 points per game), as he checked out of Thursday’s semifinal game and the two shared an embrace. “I appreciate you and all the kind words,” Olivari posted on X as he shared the video of the moment. “Tremendous amount of respect for you and your love means everything to me.”
“This guy is an awesome player,” Hurley responded online.
Olivari spent time around Uconn as he worked as a volunteer during the 2023 Final Four.
Uconn news
The Huskies are set to play Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden next season in the Hall of Fame series on Dec. 14. Uconn is 5-2 in the all-time series with Gonzaga and have won three of the last four, including last year’s Elite Eight matchup and its trip to Seattle this season.
Dan Hurley and Tristen Newton were each named national semifinalists for the Naismith Coach and Player of the Year Awards, respectively.