Elon University men’s basketball freshman center Tony Sabato and freshman guard Tanner Samson, the team’s first-years with scholarships, are still adjusting to life away from the comforts of home while also being thrust into the demanding world of Division I athletics.
It’s an adjustment Sabato admitted has been difficult, in different capacities.
“Making sure you eat right (and getting) to bed on time (have been difficult),” Sabato said. “You don’t have your mom checking up on you all the time, so you just have to be responsible with your stuff and take care of yourself.”
But Samson isn’t worried about life outside the confines of Alumni Gym.
“(There isn’t) too much off-the-court adjusting,” Samson said. “It’s just a lot of basketball all the time so you have to take care of yourself. You get nicked up here and there a little bit, so (it’s important to) make sure you get in there for some treatment.”
Head coach Matt Matheny admires his players’ work ethic, but knows how difficult the adjustment is for freshmen used to high school-level competition.
“They’re of high character,” he said. “We’ve had a week of practice and they’ve both had good days in practice. But, for any incoming player, it’s difficult. There’s a big jump from high school to college, and they’re learning that, they’re experiencing that now.”
Junior guard Jack Isenbarger said he believes both players could make an immediate impact if given the opportunity.
“I think they’re both going to be able to help our program right away because they’re very coachable, and they’re also very talented,” Isenbarger said. “Their willingness to compete and be coachable is something that’s going to take them a long way.”
Both Samson and Sabato said they understand they must become more physical, as that is clearly the biggest adjustment they’ve had to make since beginning their careers for the maroon and gold.
“I’m always used to being the bigger guy on the court,” Sabato said. “But once I got here I got roughed up a little bit. But it’s a lot more physical, the pace is faster and the guys are just bigger (and) stronger. It’s a different type of basketball, but I’m adjusting well.”
Matheny said neither Samson nor Sabato was on his staff’s radar initially, but that soon changed after seeing both while on the road recruiting.
“In recruiting, you find out about guys in different ways,” Matheny said. “The first time I ever saw Tanner play was when I went out to recruit (current sophomore forward) Ryan Winters, at Regis Jesuit in Denver. I saw Ryan in a practice and that’s the first time I saw Tanner play, and we started recruiting Tanner from that practice.”
Finding Sabato was a similar story.
“The first time I saw Tony play, I went to an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) tournament in July to recruit another young man,” Matheny said. “Tony was playing against him and he had a very successful game against him. We started recruiting him based on his performance in the AAU game, but also where he was from.”
Sabato’s high school, Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, is notable for producing such athletes as former Major League Baseball stars Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey, Jr., along with Xavier University all-time leading men’s basketball scorer Byron Larkin.
Matheny said he was attracted to both players right away.
“For Tony, it was his toughness,” Matheny said. “They’re tough as nails in the Cincinnati (Greater) Catholic League and I saw that in Tony in the first game that I saw him play. That’s exactly how he is; he’s tough, he’s well-schooled, well-coached in high school, and he fits the mold of a player from the Cincinnati Catholic league.”
Cincinnati’s Greater Catholic League, a high school athletic conference, has produced athletes such as current Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph.
In Samson, Matheny said he saw natural ability from the outside.
“The first thing that attracted me to Tanner was the way he shoots the ball,” Matheny said. “He’s got a beautiful jump shot. The more I watched him, the more I noticed that he’s a presence on the court in many other ways than just shooting. He’s got great length; he’s got the ability to play multiple positions.”
If Sabato and Samson continue to grow, they could both be seeing significant time on the court this season.