Sports: Sanders knows his strengths

Sanders knows his strengths

South Florida senior brings defense, energy and slashing ability to the starting lineup, and he said he still has more to contribute.

By ANTONYA ENGLISH

TAMPA -- It's not like Sam Sanders has spent an inordinate amount of time on the bench obsessing about getting into the starting lineup for the South Florida men's basketball team.

Like any player, anywhere, Sanders always has wanted to be a starter. The 6-4, 219-pound forward has worked hard on his game. He even prayed about it. But he says he never dwelled on the issue.

Last season, his first with the Bulls, Sanders became a vital reserve, finishing tied for the steals (26) among Conference USA players. He began the 2000-01 season in a similar role.

But coach Seth Greenberg suddenly inserted Sanders into the starting lineup for the first time, against Florida State Dec. 7. Sanders appreciated the opportunity.

More importantly, he felt he deserved it.

"For me, personally, I just want to play," Sanders said. "I just want to win. But in regard to that, I feel like I'm ready (to start). I feel like I deserve to be out there playing. Now that has been given to me and I feel like I'm skilled, primed and out there ready to do my thing. I'm a senior. I just want to get out on that court, produce, and do the things I'm capable of doing."

Sanders, a St. Petersburg native, spent two seasons at Rutgers before transferring to South Florida in 1998. After a redshirt year, Sanders averaged 1.7 points and 1.5 rebounds last season.

With the Bulls struggling through a 1-3 start this season, Greenberg instituted a few changes. Sanders as a starter was one of them.

He responded with 10 points and a team-high seven rebounds against FSU.

"He's playing to his strengths, without a doubt, that's the thing I like most," Greenberg said. "He's not trying to do a lot that he can't do. The key to a good player is playing to his strengths: Know what you don't know, that's a sign of intelligence. Know what you can't do is the sign of a good player. Effective players play to their strengths and that's the biggest thing that he's doing."

Sanders' strengths happen to fit very well into the Bulls' scheme. Greenberg's players always have prided themselves on being defensively sound.

The same can be said for Sanders.

"That's just my forte," he said. "I developed that in high school. I developed that from playing at Lakewood under coach Dan Wright. That's what he preached -- defense. And one day, I got so much pride in playing defense and it just carried over to college. I just feel like I can stop anybody. My man isn't going to score no matter what. That's the kind of mentality I have out on the court -- that I ain't going to let my man score, and if he does, I take that personally. I have a lot of pride in my defense."

Sanders, 22, began playing as a 5-year-old in St. Petersburg. It was at Bartlett Park in Lake Vista that Sanders "was molded and developed my skills."

Sanders is averaging 3.4 points and 2.6 rebounds. But what those statistics don't tell you is what Sanders really brings the Bulls. They don't tell you about his "unbelievable energy," as described by Greenberg. And they don't tell you about his dynamic ability to drive the baseline and score or get fouled (he's working to improve his free-throw shooting). Intangibles are what have his coach and teammates fired up about his new role.

"He brings a park-ball type game where he's just everywhere on the court," teammate B.B. Waldon said. "He's aggressive on defense and it's very intimidating out there on the wing when you have somebody like that running at you all the time -- somebody that's big and can jump, pressure you and make you frustrated. He comes out there and you never know what you might get out of him."

What the Bulls are getting, Sanders said, is everything he has to give. And from his perspective, he's not even close to being the kind of player he's capable of becoming. At least now, he has the only thing he's ever really asked for: a fighting chance.

"It's all about the opportunity," Sanders said. "Coach Greenberg gave me the opportunity to play and I just took advantage of that. It's like the roll of a die. That's all you need sometimes is an opportunity to go out there and play. I'm happy about the role I'm playing this year, but I'm not content with what I'm doing. I don't want everybody to think that's it. I feel like there is a lot more to my repertoire that I haven't showcased yet. I've got my foot in the door, I'm playing now. Now I feel like there are other things I can do to help this team out. It keeps a smile on my face I'm finally getting to play more.

South Florida vs. UCF

WHEN/WHERE: 7:30 tonight; USF Sun Dome, Tampa.

TV/RADIO: Ch. 32, WQYK-AM 1010.

RECORDS: UCF 2-4, USF 4-3.

COACHES: UCF -- Kirk Speraw (101-106, eighth season). USF -- Seth Greenberg (60-63, fifth season; 165-133 overall).

KEY PLAYERS: UCF -- Mario Lovett, F, 6-7 Sr. (15 ppg, 5.8 rpg); Paul Reed, F, 6-8 Jr. (14.6 ppg, 7.4 rpg); Joey Graham, G, 6-5 Fr. (10.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg). USF -- Altron Jackson, F, 6-6 Jr. (20.9 ppg, 4.3 rpg); B.B. Waldon, F, 6-8 Jr. (17.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg); Cedric Smith, F, 6-4 Sr. (8.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg).

NOTES: South Florida is coming off a nationally televised win over Texas, then No. 25 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. After a shaky start, the Bulls will be looking for their third straight win, and their fourth in the past five games. UCF enters after a win against Middle Tennessee State. Before that, the Golden Knights had defeated only Hawaii Pacific in a tournament. The Bulls are 15-4 against UCF.

- Compiled by Antonya English