Muldrow finds second home in Niagara
Fraser Valley Bandits @ Niagara River Lions
Through the first four games of the regular season, Sam Muldrow has been averaging 11 points, 2.75 rebounds and 20 minutes of playing time for the Niagara River Lions.
It is an unexpected development for the 30-year-old native of Florence, S.C., as the River Lions have opened with a 4-1 record in the inaugural season of the Canadian Elite Basketball League.
“The original plan for me was to practise with the team, help everybody out and be an assistant coach, but there was problems with a player so I actually got the chance to play which makes me happy,” the 6-foot-9, 230-pound post player said.
The former Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year while playing for the NCAA Division 1 South Carolina Gamecocks is a familiar presence with the Niagara River Lions organization. In the club’s three seasons in the National Basketball League of Canada, Muldrow played in 81 games for Niagara. The All-NBLC Defensive Team member in the 2017-18 season has found a home in Niagara.
“It is a great organization and they have treated me well since I first got here,” he said. “It’s just nice to be around here.”
The feeling has been mutual for River Lions head coach/GM Victor Raso
“Sam has been awesome and a pleasant surprise,” he said. “I don’t know if ‘bought in’ is the right word but I think he is really enjoying this group and you can tell every day by how engaged he is.
“I can tell when Sam doesn’t love a situation and he’s been coming in and putting in extra work, going to the weight room, he is good in practice and the guys love him.
“He is doing exactly what we need someone to do and he is going to stick around for the foreseeable future.”
Muldrow defends the rim well and can also shoot the three.
“He is a great rim protector and then on the other end, fives (centres) like him can’t cover him on the perimeter because they can’t handle the ball screen without dropping back,” Raso said. “He gives us a different element and a different look.”
Muldrow took a few months off of basketball before arriving at the River Lions’ training camp.
“I was pretty beat up and sore and it felt like my body needed a little break,” he said. “I’m pretty excited and glad to be back on the floor playing the game I love.”
He feel his game is rounding into shape.
“I’m a little bit rusty but I feel pretty good and I am doing whatever I can to help us win,” he said. “This team has a lot of potential and we have a lot of good, young players who can do a lot of things on the court.”
“I’m excited to see where the season is going to go.”
Raso is excited to see where Muldrow can take his game.
“He surprised me how quickly he got back into shape and started playing well, how great of a teammate he has been and how much his teammates like him.
“I know Sam is a good basketball player.”
Against the visiting Fraser Valley Bandits Friday night, Muldrow had five points, three rebounds and a +18 plus/minus rating in 18:37 foul-plagued minutes of action.
Niagara won the game going away but Raso wasn’t overly thrilled with his team’s performance, especially the first half.
“We didn’t start the game the way we wanted to and it took us too long,” he said. “I warned the guys beforehand that that was a dangerous team.
“They were on the verge of going 0-5 in a 20-game season and their backs were against the wall.”
Niagara never trailed in the game, but let the Bandits hang around in striking distance for too long in the first half.
“I went into the room at the half and the guys said, ‘We got it. We are changing our energy.’
“They changed their energy and the second half was a different story,” Raso said.
STATS PACK
River Lions 108 Bandits 87
BPSN Player of the Game: Niagara’s Nem Mitrovic with 20 points and five rebounds
For the Niagara River Lions: Mitrovic 20; Trae Bell-Haynes 16; Alex Johnson 14; Guillaume Boucard 13.
For the Fraser Valley Bandits: Tyrel Tate 17; Rodney Pryor 15; Levon Kendall 13.
Game stats: Shooting percentage: Niagara 52, FV 41.1. Rebounds: Niagara 43, FV 40. Free throws: Niagara 15-19, FV 19-22. Turnovers: Niagara 16, FV 16.
Up next: The River Lions (4-1) are at the Guelph Nighthawks Saturday.