With Dalembert maturing, it's all great at Seton Hall

Sporting News, The, Oct 30, 2000 by Mike DeCourcy

One word filters easily through the gentle islands accent and DSL-speed discourse of Seton Hall center Samuel Dalembert. His surgically repaired foot feels "great." He's in "great" condition after adding 25 pounds of muscle. And his view of expectations being dumped upon the Pirates? "Great." Possibly soon, that word will be necessary in describing Dalembert as a player.

Even as Seton Hall is celebrated as a preseason top 10 team and Big East Conference favorite, the impact Dalembert's progress is understated. His defensive presence is respected, but it ought to be ability to score is dismissed when it should be contemplated.

Although most of the attention focused on Seton Hall has regarded its gifted freshmen, point guard Andre Barrett and power forward Eddie Griffin, the conference once ruled by such big men as Patrick Ewing and Derrick Coleman now may belong to Dalembert.

"Sam is more mature," says Pirates coach Tommy Amaker. "Basketball means more to him. He sees now what this thing is all about."

It seems odd to suggest such bold possibilities for a player who averaged a half-dozen points last season, but Dalembert has only begun to discover what he can accomplish.

He is listed at 6-11, but his long arms, quickness off the floor, uncanny knack for keeping track of the ball and exquisite timing make him appear considerably taller. He averaged 3.6 blocks as a freshman, seventh in the nation. However, each of the players ahead of him entered the season with Division I experience, and all but one played about 30 minutes per game.

What opponents saw last season was about two-thirds of the real Dalembert. Injury and inexperience limited him to 21.4 minutes on average.

A native of Haiti who spent two years at St. Patrick's High in Elizabeth, N.J., Dalembert still was new enough to the game to regularly stumble into foul trouble by pursuing blocks too eagerly or drifting out of position and attempting an instant recovery. He also played the entire year with a chip fracture on the ball of his right foot that occasionally forced him to rest and ultimately required postseason surgery.

The injury kept Dalembert from joining last year's preseason practice, when he could have learned some helpful tricks.

"When you see the young big kids, it's harder for them to adjust to how the game is being called," Amaker says. "If it's being called tighter, he can't go after every single thing. When he gets that first foul, he's got to know that second one is worth something. That's gamesmanship, and it's an area that takes time."

In his freshman year, Dalembert shot 50.3 percent from the field but handled the ball as rarely as possible. He passed for only 10 assists, turned it over 62 times and shot fewer than five times per game. Stronger opponents easily moved him off the block.

He is establishing firmer position now and finishing more effectively. When a defender leans on him, he can spin away and search for an open spot. His teammates are becoming comfortable throwing him the ball. If officials call games as closely as the rules committee is promising--the one point of emphasis this season is reducing physical play--Dalembert's speed will make him difficult to defend.

Seton Hall was effective enough last season to reach the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 but still was a one-trick pony on offense. Combined, the top five scorers attempted almost half their shots from 3-point range. When the Pirates won, they shot .398 from long distance; in losses, they hit .300.

That's where Dalembert's improvement comes in.

"I think we'll be able to have a really good inside game," Dalembert says. "I'm able to hold my position, use different moves, and I can go out and shoot corner jump shots. They're going to want me to do a lot of other things, and that's what I'm working on in practice. Last year, I was mostly using my talent, but this year I'm going to combine my talent with my skills."

inside dish

After four days of practice, the NCAA declared 6-9 F Andre Brown met NCAA initial-eligibility standards. The McDonald's All-American has endured the usual freshman learning but is showing off his skills. That has DePaul coach Pat Kennedy itching to try a big lineup featuring Brown at small forward, 6-7 SG Bobby Simmons and 6-2 freshman PG Imari Sawyer along with big men Lance Williams and Steve Hunter.... New Mexico SF Zeke Johnson is the first to claim "amnesty" under the NCAA ruling that players who received nonscholarship tuition for private school from people outside their families can accept a three-game suspension and face no further penalties. Seven players have contacted the NCAA about amnesty, but the schools involved have not announced who they are.... Illinois coach Bill Self is emphasizing sophomore PF Brian Cook's role in early workouts. Last season Cook didn't start for the first 15 games. Then-coach Lon Kruger tried to bring Cook along slowly until an injury to C Marcus Griffin forced his hand. Cook averaged 14.1 points in games in which he played 20 or more minutes, but he closed the year with a combined 27 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games.... Villanova PF Brooks Sales gained 20 pounds of muscle, which should help keep some bodies away from new C Michael Bradley.... LSU picked up a commitment from muscular PF Shawnson Johnson of Lee College in Texas, who was impressive at the 1998 Nike All-American Camp.... Michigan folks are suggesting freshman SG Bernard Robinson might be a better overall player than Jamal Crawford, who left for the NBA. Robinson does not have Crawford's varied ball skills but is stronger and could make a nice complement to sophomore SF LaVell Blanchard.