U's Ralph Sampson making his own tall tales

Ralph Sampson Jr. presented every problem imaginable to opposing college defenses. He used his lithe, 7-4 frame to win an unprecedented three national player of the year awards at Virginia, a feat that might never be topped in the one-and-done generation of college basketball.

So it's surprising that his son, 6-11 Gophers freshman forward/center Ralph Sampson III, said he doesn't feel pressured by having such an accomplished father. Sampson has called tonight's home matchup in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge against Virginia "just another game," even though it's his father's alma mater.

Sampson's parents have groomed him to be an individual, and never forced him to live up to his father's achievements. And if the younger Sampson needs support, he has teammates and coaches who can relate to the experience of growing up with a relative prominent in sports.

Gophers assistant coach Saul Smith played for his father, head coach Tubby Smith, at Kentucky. Graduate manager Ryan Saunders is the son of former Gophers guard and Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders. Junior Lawrence Westbrook said people ask him every day about Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook, his first cousin.

Tubby Smith doesn't allow freshmen to talk to the media once the season starts until the Big Ten opener. But Sampson said during the team's media day this fall that he expected to be compared to his famous father. The prospect didn't appear to faze him.

"I think I'm going to have a chance to establish my own legacy, but I know people in the stands are going to recognize my name and they're going to think of my dad," he said. "But I'm going to have to create my own name [at] Minnesota and in the college basketball world."

Sampson's father said he didn't make his son play basketball. But when Ralph III picked up the sport, his father emphasized the importance of taking responsibility for his own development. In other words: Genetics would only take him so far.

"We always tell him, he never had to play basketball at all if he didn't really want to," said Sampson Jr. after a recent Gophers exhibition game. "He played for himself. They see Ralph Sampson III on the back of that jersey, not Ralph Sampson, so he's playing for himself."

But after a few months in a Gophers jersey, Tubby Smith sees similarities between the younger Sampson and his father. Smith coached against Sampson Jr. when Smith was an assistant at Virginia Commonwealth in the late '70s and early '80s.

"[Ralph Sampson Jr.] was the same way," Smith said. "[He] had very good dexterity, can use either hand, go either way, nice jump shot. [Ralph Sampson III] has a real feathery touch on his shot, and I'm sure that's all growing up, being with his dad, being around him and others that helped him grow."

Saul Smith helped his father win the 1998 national title at Kentucky. From his first day of campus, he said he tried to prove that he belonged based on his own merit and work ethic, not because his dad was the coach.

"For me, it was all about just working as hard as I could," Saul said. "I felt like if I could win the sprint against a McDonald's All-American, I was all right. I knew if I could win a one-on-one game vs. [former Kentucky and current Detroit Pistons forward] Tayshaun Prince, I was going to be all right. ... And I think Ralph does a good job of that in practice."

With senior center Jonathan Williams missing the team's first six games, Sampson's length has been a necessity for the Gophers, with only three healthy post players. They will face their biggest opponent so far in Virginia.

His toughness also has been tested numerous times. He's already overcome a high fever, a gash near his eye that required stitches, early-season cramps that prompted a hospital visit and IV fluids and a couple of hard falls in practice. He hasn't missed one game.

Down the stretch in a 90-76 victory over North Dakota State on Saturday, he scored 12 points in the final 10 minutes. He recorded four of Minnesota's new school record 17 blocks against Bowling Green. And he's averaging 7.0 points and leading the team with 4.7 rebounds per game.

But he's still a freshman, regardless of who his father is. So he's had his share of mishaps this season, too -- his 14 personal fouls are tied for a team high.

Players such as Westbrook try to make sure that Sampson isn't asked to live up to a higher standard because of his father. Although Westbrook only played football briefly in high school, he's still peppered with questions about his first cousin with the Eagles.

"I guess it has to be difficult trying to live in your father's footsteps," Westbrook said. "But Ralph is a cool, quiet kid. We do a good job, I think. We don't put any pressure on him. He's only a freshman."