PITTSBURGH – No one knew Jamar Samuels was hurting inside.

Before Kansas State tipped off against Alabama on Dec. 17, Samuels received news his grandmother had died, but the senior forward didn’t tell anyone on the Wildcats until after the game ended. Judging from the way he played, his teammates had no clue of the crushing news. In 21 minutes, Samuels scored 14 points and pulled down four rebounds.

‘I didn’t want anyone to feel sorry for me,’ Samuels said.

Samuels realized it was time to mature as a person and a player after his grandmother, Patsy Saunders, died. A player that takes the court with a bundle of emotion, Samuels used to let that emotion get the best of him. He still plays with that same intensity and aggressiveness. But he’s done a better job of controlling it. That maturation from Samuels has helped Kansas State (22-10) advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournament in his senior season.

The Wildcats are hoping to knock off top-seeded Syracuse (32-2) on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. at the Consol Energy Arena.

For much of Samuels’ career, his immaturity hurt him. Even Samuels himself said last season he was ‘one of the most immature guys you ever met.’

The 6-foot-7 forward holds the dubious distinction of being Kansas State’s all-time leader in fouls. What bothered head coach Frank Martin the most about those fouls is many came as a result of a loss of control. Fouls he didn’t need to commit.

‘Most of those fouls were emotional fouls because he gets frustrated in a moment of the game or somebody bumps him,’ Martin said. ‘So he thinks he’s got to go bump that person. Can’t do that.’

It frustrated the coaching staff to no end. Whether Samuels was jawing at a ref or retaliating against an opposing player, he cost his team.

‘That’s the emotional part that we fought with him,’ associate head coach Brad Underwood said.

Samuels was suspended for three games, including the season opener of this year, for a violation of team rules. The Wildcats managed to win all three games. But in the bigger picture, Kansas State was without the only scholarship senior on the team for a short time.

Underwood said it hurt because Kansas State is a young team that needed guidance.

It also showed the other players they ‘better handle their business.’

Samuels still had the support of his teammates despite the suspension. And since he missed those three games, he hasn’t missed another. Even when tragedy struck.

Junior guard Rodney McGruder calls Samuels his ‘big brother.’ He has known Samuels since high school and said the pain he felt extended to him. It’s a tragedy he wouldn’t wish on anyone.

Samuels returned home to take care of his family obligations after the matchup against Alabama. He was back with the Wildcats in time to catch a flight with the team to Hawaii and played in all three games in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.

The KSU forward played well enough to earn all-tournament honors.

‘You just can’t bring your outside business on the court pretty much,’ Samuels said. ‘When you do that, I think you perform well.’

Samuels knew growing up into a man could no longer be avoided. His mother told him he wasn’t getting any younger so changing was the only option.

Saunders, Samuels’ grandmother, raised Samuels growing up, along with his mother. She tried raising Samuels as someone who was honest, trustworthy and someone who showed a lot of care.

‘Knowing that she left, it was tough,’ Samuels said. ‘It felt tough but I had to change.’

It’s a change that’s noticeable.

Underwood said Samuels has transformed emotionally and physically. Before, he was a follower, not the integral part of the team’s tough makeup. Every mistake he made, he’s learned from.

Freshman Thomas Gipson said Samuels is someone he looks to for advice. When Martin wants the team to know or do something, Samuels is usually the one to let his teammates know what that is.

That leadership was tested in a back-and-forth affair on Thursday in Kansas State’s second-round game against Southern Mississippi.

‘Jamal and Frank (Martin) were basically saying keep everyone together and stay positive in whatever we do,’ Gipson said. ‘And no matter what they’re always going to throw punches at us because they’re a real good team.’

On the season, Samuels is averaging 10 points per game. Against Southern Miss, with his mother and brothers in attendance, he scored one point. But stats don’t tell how Samuels has helped the team and grown into a man.

He contested a perimeter shot late in the game that a Southern Miss player clanked off the rim, all but securing the Wildcats win.

Earlier in the game, when the referees called a foul on Samuels, he flashed a bewildered look. But unlike the past, where he might have lost his focus, he moved on. He showed control.

‘He’s been rock solid as a leader, getting our young guys, as young as our kids are, to understand the sense of urgency that you got to have about everything you do every day,’ Martin said. ‘… I’m extremely proud of him.’

dgproppe@syr.edu

Published on March 16, 2012 at 12:00 pm