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by Michael Whiteside

February 5th, 2003

Much has been made this season about the fact that DePaul’s 6-9, 250-pound center, Sam Hoskin, worked hard over the summer to shed about 40 unwanted pounds. What some people may not have noticed, however, is what Hoskin has done on the court for his team this year.

The extremely versatile big man currently leads DePaul in minutes played (31.0 mpg), scoring (13.4 ppg), free throws attempted (98) and made (77), as well as field goal percentage (53.1%). As a matter of fact, Hoskin’s shooting percentage from the floor was good for ninth place in Conference USA going into last weekend’s action.

In addition, Hoskin also ranks second on his team in rebounding, at 6.5 boards per outing. If that’s not enough, only one other starter (guard Drake Diener) shoots better than Hoskin’s 78.6% from the foul line, and he also makes a very respectable 36.0% of his attempts from 3-point range. Hoskin and Diener also happen to be the only two Blue Demon players to start every game this season.

With 15 double-figure scoring games and two double-doubles, Hoskin has established himself as DePaul’s most consistent performer this season. This is particularly worthy of note when one considers the fact that Hoskin is now playing for his fourth coach in as many seasons as a college basketball player.

After starring at Bishop Borgess high school in Detroit, Michigan, where he helped his squad win the school’s only state championship as a junior, Hoskin began his college career at Eastern Kentucky University. Hoskin played one season (1999-00) at EKU, after sitting out his freshman year, and led the team in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.0 rpg).

When the coach who recruited him to the Blue Grass State was forced to resign after that season, Hoskin decided to return closer to home and enrolled at Schoolcraft Community College in Michigan. Hoskin spent one season at Schoolcraft where he averaged 24 points and just over 10 rebounds per contest while leading his team to the NJCAA National Tournament for the first time ever.

After completing his associates degree at Schoolcraft, Hoskin enlisted with then DePaul coach, Pat Kennedy, to come play for the Blue Demons. His accomplishments while at Schoolcraft earned Hoskin national recognition from The Sporting News as the best “Junior College Import” in Conference USA. As with his previous two college basketball stops, Hoskin’s time under his new coach was short lived, as Kennedy left DePaul at the end of a disappointing 9-19 season.

In April 2002, Hoskin once again found himself trying to get to know a new coach-this time it was Dave Leitao, who came to DePaul after a long tenure at Connecticut as the top assistant to Jim Calhoun.

“I think it’s tough,” said Hoskin, “because you’re looking at different personalities, different types of coaching styles every year. So it’s hard to really just adapt because you’re always changing. But I think this year he [Leitao] has really helped me a lot because he gives me a lot of freedom on the basketball floor. He trusts my decision-making as a player, so he gives me a lot of freedom to roam out on the court and do what I feel is best on the floor.”

Hoskin’s new and improved physique, coupled with his newfound independence under Leitao, has allowed him to thrive in his final season as a collegiate. “It’s helped me a lot because around this time last year I was pretty much dead,” said Hoskin. “I really couldn’t move, I was real sore all the time and couldn’t really jump. But right now I feel almost as good as I did at the beginning of the season, with a few minor bumps and bruises here and there, but all in all, I feel pretty good.”

What transpired during DePaul’s 56-52 victory last week over long-time nemesis Cincinnati speaks volumes about how far Hoskin has come with his conditioning. Despite being stricken by the flu shortly before the game versus the Bearcats, Hoskin contributed 10 points and six rebounds while playing all but one minute of the game. At the end of the contest, Hoskin had enough gas left in his tank to sink four pressure-packed free throws in the final 28 seconds.

“I just thought about not really myself but my team because Coach looks at me as a leader of the team,” said Hoskin. “I feel like no matter what, if I’m sick or hurt…for me there is no sick or hurt. So I just have to dig down and do what I have to do to get the job done.”

Leitao certainly appreciates the consistency and leadership Hoskin has demonstrated both on and off the court this season. “Any time that you can create a situation where there are certain givens in a game, then you’re pretty well off,” said Leitao. “Sam has been a guy that I’ve been able to rely on for certain things. At the top of that is his leadership. Every coach needs people within the group and on teams to deliver the message, especially in the locker room when they’re away from the coaches and away from the game. Sam has been that conduit to us as a coaching staff and has allowed us to deliver the message and have that message be reinforced when we’re not around, and that’s huge for any particular team.”

Leitao also admires Hoskin’s unique combination of size, skill, and agility. “If you look at guys across the country that are that big…they’re block-to-block brutes where they overpower you, and they just score underneath,” said Leitao. “With Sam, he’s shooting almost 80% from the free throw line, he’s a terrific passer, he’s ambidextrous, he makes face-up shots, he makes threes, and he can do the things that big guys do, which is rebound and play with the basketball in the post. So having that luxury of a guy who can be that big and be that versatile at the same time is invaluable. I think he’s shown this year, in different games and at different points, that his versatility makes him and us a lot more effective.”

E-Mail the Author: Michael Whiteside