THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, February 20, 1995 TAG: 9502200148
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GREENVILLE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
Mike Jones has a warning for anyone sitting courtside at an Old Dominion basketball game when Duffy Samuels is in the Monarchs' lineup.
``If the ball goes over the scorer's table, look out because he's coming after it,'' Jones said.
The Monarchs have done a good job all season coming after the ball on defense. Their best games have been when they have created havoc for opposing offenses by creating steals and turnovers, something they will try to do tonight at 8:30 against East Carolina. The Monarchs have a one-game lead in the Colonial Athletic Association with two games to play.
ODU is on pace to threaten the school's Division I-era steal record. The 1976-77 team had 294 in 29 games (10.1 per game), while this year's team has 263 in 26 games (also 10.1).
ODU also leads the CAA in turnover margin at plus-2.2 per game.
Samuels is the Monarchs' most gifted thief - Jones leads the team with 50 steals, but Samuels has 43 in less than half Jones' playing time. Samuels averages a steal every eight minutes he is on the court.
``Some people are born to shoot. I was born to play defense,'' he said.
Samuels led all junior-college players last season with 5.6 steals a game at Hagerstown (Md.) Junior College. Samuels, at 5-foot-9 the shortest player in the CAA, said he learned the virtues of defense early, from a middle school coach.
``He said taller guys might block my shot, so the only way to get back at them is to steal the ball from them,'' Samuels said. ``I worked on it a lot when I was little because I wasn't really good offensively. I like playing defense a lot.''
Samuels said making steals is 90 percent reaction and quickness, 10 percent preparation. As a reserve, he gets to case the joint before he strikes.
``When I'm on the bench, I look at the opposing guard and watch what he does with the ball and count his dribbles,'' Samuels said. ``When I get in the game, I know what he's going to do.''
ODU starting point guard Brion Dunlap, who faces Samuels daily in practice, said: ``You relax with the ball for a second, and it's gone.''
Dunlap is also a proficient thief, with 42 steals. Mario Mullen is the fourth Monarch who rates among the CAA's top 10 in steals with 36.
``I think the players have done a real good job of understanding how we want to play defensively,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said. ``We want to create situations where we shoot gaps and try to make steals.''
Jones said that last year, when ODU averaged 7.5 steals while playing full-court pressure defense, the Monarchs' philosophy was to wear teams down and make them give up the ball.
``Now we're taking the ball,'' Jones said. ``It's like shooting: Once we get one steal, it's almost easier to get another one.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Duffy Samuels averages a steal every eight minutes.
by CNB