WSOU

2021 Pirate Player Preview: Tyrese Samuel

Date: July 26, 2021

By: Jorie Mickens

Seton Hall's Tyrese Samuel celebrates after a made basket during a Pirate basketball game.

Seton Hall Athletics

The departures of Sandro Mamukelashvili and Shavar Reynolds leaves two spots open in Seton Hall’s starting lineup, and no one is more deserving of one of those spots than junior forward, Tyrese Samuel.

Last season, in 17.0 minutes a game, Samuel averaged 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in 27 games off the bench. But with an increased role this year, Samuel has breakout potential like many other former Pirates as they entered their third year with the team. But what does the former All-Canada selection do well and what aspects of his game requires improvement? Let us look at some of Samuel’s highs and lows from this past year. 

Seton Hall Pirate Tyrese Samuel goes up for a layup during a home game.

Seton Hall Athletics

Four games into last season, during a matchup with the No. 21 Oregon Ducks, Samuel totaled 11 points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal in 25 minutes off the bench. And in the first half, Samuel’s offensive versatility was on full display.

His first basket was a catch-and-shoot corner three following a press break by the Pirates and about 20 seconds later, Samuel threw down a monstrous alley-oop in transition. These two areas, catch-and-shoot opportunities and in transition, are where I see most of his points coming from during the 2021-22 season.

Samuel shot a respectable 32.5% from three on 1.5 attempts per game this past season. Shooting a higher volume of threes may cause that percentage to drop, but if Samuel can occasionally stretch the floor for the Pirates this year, it will open a world of possibilities for their offense.

And for someone who is 6-foot-10 and weighs 235 pounds, Samuel moves incredibly well in the open floor. Alongside fellow upperclassmen Jared Rhoden and Myles Cale, the Pirates have a multitude of high-flying athletes that could take Seton Hall’s fast break offense to another level this season.

One part of Samuel’s game that could improve is his defensive rebounding. Despite playing an Oregon team whose average height was 6-foot-6, the Pirates were outrebounded 38-22 in that game. And while the onus does not fall completely on Samuel, the Pirates will need a more conceited effort from him with last year’s leading rebounder (Mamukelashvili) hoping to hear his named called during the upcoming 2021 NBA Draft.

And speaking of rebounding, becoming a more effective offensive rebounder would take Samuel’s game to new heights. Last season, the “Big Maple” averaged 1.2 offensive rebounds every night, which ranked fourth on the team.

Samuel showed numerous times last season that he is willing to go for putbacks. He posted 11 games with two or more offensive rebounds, but what separates a good offensive rebounder from a great one is persistence. 

One player he could also model his game after is former Xavier Musketeers’ standout Tyrique Jones, who went from averaging 1.5 offensive rebounds-per-game as a sophomore to 3.4 as a junior.

If Samuel can make a similar leap this coming season, the Pirates’ starting frontcourt of Rhoden, Samuel and Ike Obiagu will be a matchup nightmare on the glass.

But perhaps the most pressing issue with Samuel’s game is his inability to stay out of foul trouble. Last season, Samuel ranked second on the team in fouls per game (2.4), only behind Reynolds (3.1), who played 12.3 more minutes-per-game.

Samuel also posted eight games with four or more fouls and fouled out twice last season. If he is unable to clean up that part of his game, it will severely hinder his ability to make an impact at all for the Pirates this season.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming Seton Hall men’s basketball season, but possibly none more intriguing than Samuel’s untapped potential. If everything falls into place this year, Samuel could blossom into a star right before our eyes.

Jorie Mickens is an Assistant Sports Director for WSOU Sports and can be reached at jorie.mickens@student.shu.edu.

Posted in: Men's Basketball, Sports, WSOU

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