Sam Young (basketball)
Sam Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | Samuel David Young June 1, 1985 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 2009–2017 |
| Known for | NBA player, collegiate basketball for Pittsburgh Panthers |
Samuel David Young (born June 1, 1985) is a retired American professional basketball athlete who spent four seasons competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and also played overseas. He gained prominence playing collegiate basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers.
Early years
As the oldest of five siblings, Young was born in Washington, D.C. to Marquet Craig, a single mother who worked as a cable technician for Comcast. The family relocated nine times before establishing roots in Prince George's County, Maryland. During his time at Friendly High School in Fort Washington, Young led the Patriots to consecutive Maryland state championships in 2003 and 2004, posting averages of 24.6 points, 14 rebounds, and six blocks per contest during his senior year.
Following high school graduation, Young enrolled at Hargrave Military Academy for a prep year aimed at securing an athletic scholarship. He contributed 23 points and 11 rebounds per game on a squad that finished 28–1 and was ranked second nationally among prep teams. Recognized by Scout.com as the National Prep School Player of the Year in 2005, Young attracted recruitment interest from programs such as Georgia, Maryland, Georgetown, and Miami, ultimately committing to Pitt. Assistant coach Joe Lombardi remarked that Young selected Pitt because "we were there when a whole lot of other people weren't."
Ranked as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, Young was listed as the No. 17 small forward and the No. 71 player overall nationwide in the class of 2005.
College career
Young began his collegiate career with Pitt during the 2005–2006 season. Initially displeased with his role near the basket under head coach Jamie Dixon, he contemplated transferring to Kansas State after his sophomore year. However, after Kansas State’s coach Bob Huggins departed, Dixon persuaded Young to remain by promising him an expanded role. That season, Young averaged 18 points per game, earned MVP honors in the 2008 Big East tournament after tallying 80 points, and received recognition as the conference’s most improved player.
In his final collegiate season, Young posted an average of 19.2 points per game and was named to the Third Team All-America. His NBA draft stock rose considerably after scoring an average of 23.5 points across four games during the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Connecticut’s coach Jim Calhoun, impressed by Young’s offensive prowess against his team, commented on the difficulties Young presented and his significant influence on the floor.
The Basketball Tournament
In the 2018 edition of The Basketball Tournament, Sam Young competed for Team ATL AllStars. He led his team with 29 points and nine rebounds during their first-round defeat to Louisiana United.
College statistics
| College Statistics | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:NBA player statistics legend | ||||||||||||
| Template:NBA player statistics start | ||||||||||||
| 2005–06 Freshman | Pittsburgh Panthers | 33 | 3 | 20.4 | .521 | .190 | .693 | 4.4 | 0.8 | .7 | 0.6 | 7.9 |
| 2006–07 Sophomore | Pittsburgh Panthers | 37 | 2 | 17.2 | .458 | .310 | .597 | 3.0 | .7 | .6 | 0.5 | 7.2 |
| 2007–08 Junior | Pittsburgh Panthers | 37 | 37 | 32.1 | .503 | .383 | .690 | 6.3 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 18.1 |
| 2008–09 Senior | Pittsburgh Panthers | 36 | 36 | 31.8 | .502 | .372 | .740 | 6.3 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 19.2 |
|}
College honors
- Named to the AP Third-team All-American squad in 2009
- Selected as a Third-team All-American by Sporting News in 2009
- Received AP Honorable Mention All-American recognition in 2008
- Achieved First-team All-Big East honors twice (2008, 2009)
- Awarded Most Valuable Player of the Big East tournament in 2008
Professional career
Young entered the professional ranks when the Memphis Grizzlies chose him with the 36th overall selection in the 2009 NBA draft.
On March 15, 2012, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for the rights to Ricky Sánchez.
He inked a deal with the Indiana Pacers on September 6, 2012, was waived on January 6, 2013, and then re-signed with them on January 28.
Young agreed to terms with the San Antonio Spurs on September 30, 2013, but was released shortly after on October 10.
On November 18, 2013, he signed with the Sydney Kings to complete the rest of the 2013–14 NBL season. During his tenure, he earned Player of the Month honors for January and posted averages of 21.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists across 21 games.
He joined Puerto Rico's Vaqueros de Bayamón for the BSN season on January 19, 2014.
On July 22, 2014, Young committed to a one-year contract with Italy's Juvecaserta Basket, departing from the team on December 31.
He signed with Mexico's Halcones de Xalapa on January 14, 2015, before transferring to Turkey's Muratbey Uşak Sportif in April.
On September 21, 2017, Young secured a contract with Lebanese club Homenetmen Beirut, competing in the Lebanese Basketball League.
Regular season
|- | align="left" | | align="left" | Memphis | 80 || 1 || 16.5 || .451 || .196 || .777 || 2.5 || .7 || .4 || .3 || 7.4 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Memphis | 78 || 46 || 20.2 || .472 || .340 || .767 || 2.4 || .9 || .9 || .3 || 7.3 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Memphis | 21 || 2 || 11.4 || .386 || .000 || .833 || 2.0 || .4 || .5 || .1 || 3.5 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Philadelphia | 14 || 0 || 9.6 || .295 || .625 || .643 || 1.5 || .4 || .4 || .3 || 2.9 |- | align="left" | | align="left" | Indiana | 56 || 3 || 12.4 || .392 || .308 || .535 || 2.2 || .8 || .3 || .1 || 2.8 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 249 || 52 || 15.9 || .442 || .280 || .742 || 2.3 || .7 || .5 || .2 || 5.8
Playoffs
|- | align="left" | 2011 | align="left" | Memphis | 13 || 11 || 19.7 || .448 || .250 || .600 || 2.3 || .2 || .5 || .2|| 7.5 |- | align="left" | 2012 | align="left" | Philadelphia | 2||0||2.0||.000||.000||.000||0||0||0||0||0 |- | align="left" | 2013 | align="left" | Indiana | 15||0||8.7||.375||.200||.750||1.9||.3||0.3||0.1||1.7 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 30||11||13.0||.426||.217||.652||2.0||0.2||0.3||0.1||4.1
Personal life
Scott Cacciola from The Commercial Appeal highlighted Young's well-known reputation for his relentless work ethic and unwavering determination, traits fueled by those who doubted his potential.
Young demonstrated an exceptional dedication to basketball; during his time at Pitt, he trained with such intensity that coaches expressed concern about the strain on his knees. Throughout the season, he frequently participated in pick-up games during lunch breaks. Prior to his final collegiate year, he even spent an entire month residing in the Petersen Events Center locker room to maximize training hours, emphasizing the sport as his foremost priority.
Chris Howard, a former teammate, emphasized Young’s early commitment by recalling his routine of morning workouts and disciplined lifestyle choices that excluded nightlife—habits critical to achieving professional-level success.
Motivation from family played a significant role in shaping Young’s drive. A poster in his dorm room declared, "I can't let my mother work harder than I do," serving as a constant reminder. Additionally, his brother Michael Spriggs overcame blindness to excel in wrestling and judo, inspiring Young to make the most of his own opportunities.
Young’s athletic talents extend beyond basketball; after winning a state championship in high school, he fulfilled a promise by performing backflips. Furthermore, he impressed Pitt’s diving coach with advanced dive techniques.
Outside of athletics, Young pursues creative interests such as poetry—he has publicly shared his work and discussed plans for publication—and is an accomplished pianist. These diverse skills enhance his personal brand and contribute positively to his marketability within the sports industry.
See also
External links
- Official website
- Pittsburgh Panthers bio (archived)