Bowling Green State University Athletics
Samarco Filling Shoes, Stat Sheets
December 01, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 1, 2005
John Reimold and Josh Almanson were good. How good? Well, Reimold scored 1,380 points in three seasons, good for 17th all-time at Bowling Green. He was the 2005 MAC scoring champion and was dubbed a Mid-Major All-American.
Almanson, a Bowling Green native, earned first team All-MAC honors in 2005 and finished with 1,136 points, 27th all-time. They were both tough, hard-working guys that got the most from their talent.
Unfortunately for Falcon fans, Reimold and Almanson have graduated. Both are now earning a living playing professionally, and their departure left BGSU head coach Dan Dakich looking for a way to replace their more than 35 ppg, better than half of the scoring load from last season.
Enter guard Martin Samarco, a junior college All-American.
"The first time I went to see him play, I immediately liked him," said BG assistant coach LaMonta Stone. "Not only can he score from the perimeter, but he also has a great understanding and feel for the game."
As a second year performer at Schoolcraft Community College in Livonia, Mich., the 6-foot-2 Samarco finished 13th in the country in scoring. He averaged more than 21 ppg while shooting 47 percent from beyond the arc and led the nation in three-point field goals.
Those kinds of numbers and all-around play, should fit well into the Falcons lineup -- a lineup that has lost more than Reimold and Almanson from last season's team.
During preseason practice in October, injuries and misfortune once again invaded Anderson Arena. Steven Wright, the most heralded returner, broke his foot and Mawel Soler, the only other senior on the roster, briefly was away from the team while dealing with personal issues.
At that point, Dakich was left with only three players who had more than one year of experience and only John Floyd averaged more than 13 minutes per game.
It was at that time when Samarco began to emerge as a leader and producer.
"He's a very vocal kid," assistant coach Artie Pepelea said before practice Monday. "Not only has he led by example, but his competitive nature has come out with the younger kids and I think he has been a great example of not only being an upper-classman, but also at the same time showing guys that you don't have to be around here for two or three years to play at his pace.
"I think, as he gets to know more of what we do and what Division I college basketball is about, he'll be able to lead a great deal more."
Through his first four games at the Division I level, number 25 has averaged better than 18 points, earned MAC Player of the Week honors and has led BGSU to a win over Virginia Tech at the NABC Classic when he poured in a team-high 21. For the Falcons, it was their first win over an ACC opponent since 1967.
"We always expect more out of Samarco," point-guard John Floyd said. "He has done a tremendous job stepping in and being a guy that we all have confidence in. To this point, he has played even better than what we expected."
With more than a half-dozen new players on the BG roster, one may tend to think on the negative side for this season. However, with an emerging star like Samarco alongside a recruiting class ranked in the top 35 in the country, people may start to forget about Reimold and Almanson sooner rather than later.
Quick Hits with Martin Samarco
Q: What is your focus from day to day?
A: "My approach, everyday, is to get better in all aspects. I watch film, look over my notes that we write down when Coach Dakich is talking to us and try to prepare for games and practice."
Q: What is your view on leadership, especially with a young team?
A: "To me, there are different kinds of leaders. There is one in the locker room, there is one on the court, there is one vocally and there is one that leads by example. For me, the vocal part is easy because I'm naturally talkative. So I just talk on the court because it is something that comes naturally to me and it isn't hard for me to do. A leader is a person that is always on Coach's side, even if he thinks Coach is wrong, he still does what he asks of him."
Q: What does this team need to do to be successful?
A: "We're not bigger then anybody so we've got to play tough. We've got to outsmart teams, play tough and listen to Coach Dakich and play his help rules."
Q: What were some other schools that recruited you out of Schoolcraft?
A: "Kent State, Western Michigan, Kansas State, Arkansas State and New Orleans."
