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Authored by Erildas Budraitis - 14th January, 2011 - 4:10 pm
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Omar Samhan?s senior season at Saint Mary?s was like a sweet dream. The Gaels surprisingly reached the Sweet Sixteen, while Samhan was the main reason for that. The 6-foot-11 big man averaged 21.3 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, but GMs and scouts still didn?t see him as possessing the right attributes for the NBA.
Ultimately, Samhan decided to exchange USA to Europe and sunny California to rainy and snowy Lithuania. He signed his first pro contract with Zalgiris Kaunas, who are currently preparing for the upcoming Euroleague Top 16 phase.
Samhan has only played 12 minutes in the Euroleague so far.
However, Samhan has remained positive and doesn?t regret his decision to come to Zalgiris.
RealGM: What are your best memories from your career at Saint Marry?s College?
Samhan: Definitely the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Wining the West Coast Conference tournament and making history was a lot of fun. It would have been nice to win a championship, but only one team can do that so we did a great job and I?m happy that my college crew ended the way it did.
RealGM: Did you ever hope to make to the NBA after your successful senior year in college?
Samhan: I really did. I felt that I have done enough to go to the NBA and get drafted. For whatever reason, GMs didn?t think that and they were drafting guys I played well against. It was really hard to deal with that.
RealGM: I believe you received a lot of offers from Europe after you weren?t drafted. Why did you pick Zalgiris Kaunas and decide to move to Lithuania?
Samhan: I wanted to go to a country that cares about basketball. I didn?t want to go to a soccer country, which cares less about basketball and nobody is in the stands. I wanted to go to a place, where basketball is loved. Of course, Lithuania was on top of my list. Also with Zalgiris, there are chances to play in the Euroleague and Top 16. Few teams offered me more money, but I heard that Zalgiris would be the best all-around situation for me.
RealGM: Is Europe different than you expected?
Samhan: It?s very different. At first it was really hard because I?ve never been out of the States and I?ve never been in Europe before. I moved from California to Lithuania and had to get used to it. I know where everything is now and I know places where I like to eat. I?ve been here for five months and I enjoy it.
RealGM: I saw a picture where you were walking outside with shorts even though the temperature was only 10 ?F. It looks like you?re not afraid of the snow and the cold.
Samhan: It is cold, but I am not walking and I am going to places by cars so I?m still wearing my shorts. It?s weird for me not to wear shorts [laughing]. Even today at practice coach told me to get pants or I will get sick but I always wear shorts. They think it?s weird but this is what I do my all life.
RealGM: What do you like to do in Kaunas during your free time?
Samhan: I like to go to Akropolis [shopping mall], where they have everything; bowling, restaurants and movies. My best friend on the team, Martynas Pocius, we live in the same building, so we do a lot of stuff together.
RealGM: You are one of the four Americans, who currently play for Zalgiris. Does this fact make your life in Kaunas easier?
Samhan: It helps a lot. Especially the Americans that are older. Marcus Brown [36], he?s been here for a long time and he knows a lot about basketball and also European basketball too. Those kind of guys really help. Marcus, DC [DeJuan Collins] and Travis [Watson], all three played for Zalgiris for at least a year or more so they know Kaunas very well, as well as Lithuania and it helps a lot.
RealGM: How difficult for you was the first half of the season when you didn?t get much playing time?
Samhan: It was very hard not to get playing time. The first half of the season didn?t go the way I wanted to, but I?m getting better. I lost weight and I?m more use to the game now. I think on the second half of the season I?ll be doing a lot of good things. I was playing more during the last two weeks and I?m feeling more comfortable. I remember the first time I got in, we played against good teams and I was nervous and now I?m calm. It?s been a lot better. We played last week and I had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and I felt really comfortable. I think going to the Top 16, I?ll be where I want to be. I wish I got more playing time during the first half of the season, but now I want to be in good shape. I know my teammates very well on the court so it?s all good.
RealGM: Do you expect that your minutes will be increasing with Rimantas Grigas replacing Aco Petrovic as head coach of Zalgiris?
Samhan: Of course, the new coach already increased my minutes. Aco was teaching me a lot, but during the game for whatever reasons he didn?t believe in me. It?s nice that Grigas uses me as a player and it?s hard to play for a coach, who doesn?t believe in you.
RealGM: What do you think about Zalgiris? chances to make it out of Top 16?
Samhan: I think we really have great chances to make to the Top 8 or Final Four. I believe if we reach Final Four, we would all be happy. Of course, we need to reach Top 8 first, but our goal is to be in Final Four. We have good teams in our group, but I think we can beat them. We can beat every team and the only team, which won against as back-to-back was Maccabi. We?re a great team and we have a good mix. We?re getting more used to the coach, the new guy [Boban Marjanovic] and we lost Mirza [Begic] so once we?ll get more comfortable with everything, we will have great chances to do very well in the playoffs.
RealGM: What was the team?s reaction of Mirza Begic?s decision to break a contract and find a new team?
Samhan: We love Mirza. We went through all training camps and our team is very close, whether you?re Serbian, Lithuanian or American. It was hard for him to leave and he didn?t say bye to any of us so it was very difficult. Some of us have spoken with Mirza and he thinks that it?s a better move for him and his family. I think a lot of guys understand him but it also hurts us because he left us just before Top 16. I wish him nothing but the best but when we?ll play against him I?ll beat him up [laughing].
RealGM: How did all those news ? Begic left the team, Salenga tested positive for a stimulant ? hurt the team?
Samhan: We lost Khimi twice, new coach, all Mirza and Salenga thing? It?s hard for the team. I think we can do well. A lot of guys on our team are playing for national teams, where there?s a lot of pressure and a lot of things going on, and I think it helps. We have older guys, who already saw stuff like that. But it?s hard to lose your teammate anytime.
RealGM: Could you spend all three years of your contract with Zalgiris?
Samhan: I do. I think I would only leave Kaunas for the NBA. I don?t think that other teams in Europe could do something different. I think I?m developing. The most important is to keep developing and continue to get better.
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