ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Sam Gordon — Men’s Basketball

Sam Gordon is this week’s Athlete of the Week. He is a senior starter on the men’s basketball team and is having a great season so far. He kindly agreed to answer a few questions for The News-Letter.

The News-Letter: How does the team bounce back from a defeat like the one against the Muhlenberg College Mules that came down to the wire?

Sam Gordon: Whenever we lose a close game, we just try to gather ourselves and focus on the next one. We’re in a battle right now both for making the playoffs and playoff position, so harping on a bad loss only hurts us. After losses, we really try to come out strong the next practice. In the heat of the season it’s easy to not go 100 percent in practice — jogging instead of sprinting, not running plays at game speed — but with games packed so close to each other, it’s important that we stay in game rhythm. We’ve come back from bad losses multiple times this season, largely due to upperclassmen leadership, and I think we will again this time around.

N-L: You posted your fourth triple-double of the season. How have you been able to be so effective so far?

SG: I just try to leverage my height and jumping ability. I played 40 minutes all last year, so teams didn’t really know about me coming into the season. I usually defend smaller guards, so I’m constantly crashing the boards. I’ve gotten tons of easy points just because no one boxes me out. Another way I’ve been able to score is by running. Whenever there’s a fast break opportunity, I sprint down the sideline, and more times than not whoever has the ball will find me. Outside of fast breaks and offensive rebounds, I try to position myself in places that I can score from. Even though I play on the perimeter, I always find myself roaming the baseline trying to get behind the defense. Everyone on our team is an offensive threat in some way or another, and this creates openings in the defense. If I find the opening, I have a good chance to score. On the defensive end I really just try to play hard and use my length to bother shots, and as I said before, whenever a shot goes up I’m going in the rebound.

N-L: How is the camaraderie in the team this year and how does the team feel compared to your previous years?

SG: The camaraderie couldn’t really be any better. Everyone gets along, and any argument on the court stops once we leave the gym. Sometimes it’s too good; we’ll be laughing and joking around instead of focusing on the drill. This usually doesn’t happen, but it speaks to the chemistry we have. In terms of camaraderie versus past years, I walked on last year as a junior, so I only have one year to measure against, but both years it’s been really good. One difference is that last year we barely ever lost games, and our chemistry was never really tested. This year we’ve had a lot more turbulence, but our sense of camaraderie and commitment hasn’t wavered or anything like that. If anything we have come together to fight the adversity of the season.

N-L: How do you think you’ve grown as a player since you first started playing for Hopkins?

SG: My personal growth has largely been a function of playing time. Last year I rarely got in but when I did I was jumpy and not really accustomed to our system. This year, as I’ve played and eventually cracked the starting lineup, the game has slowed down a bit. I know the plays better and know where I’m supposed to be on the court (for the most part — my teammates would agree that I still drift off sometimes) but another thing with playing time is that it gives you confidence. When you’re playing one minute some games and none in others, you’re kind of in limbo because you know you’re good but can’t show it. This year, the coaches have given me more minutes and a longer leash, so I’ve been able to show off my strengths. Playing well has a snowball effect because you have a good game, your confidence increases, and then you have something to build on for the next game. All in all, my coaches’ and teammates’ confidence in [the] team has been integral to my growth as a player.

N-L: Any final thoughts you have about the season so far and looking ahead?

SG: My only final thoughts are that I don’t think our record reflects how good we are. We beat the second and third place teams three out of four times and lost a nail-biter to F&M, who is in first place. I’m confident that if we pull everything together and play our game, we’ll not only make the playoffs but will contend for the championship.

Gordon and the rest of the Blue Jays will hit the court again this Saturday when they’ll host Franklin and Marshall while celebrating their Senior Day.