Samantha Tabakman moves to elite status in senior year

Sometimes in sports we take for granted the consistent contributors, the ones that do not always receive the glory that the stud freshmen recruits do.

The player that gradually ascends to the top, all the while still being a reliable producer, is the stability that programs desire and appreciate. Many fans are just now starting to really witness the finished product of University of Rhode Island basketball senior captain and block machine Samantha Tabakman. But her team and even a notable professional talent knows that her tenure as a post presence has been instrumental to the revitalization of the once-struggling and now formidable program.

Tabakman, a native of Pompton Plains, New Jersey, recently posted her third double-double of the season in what has been a career year for the 6-foot-3 forward.  She has been a contributor throughout her collegiate career. And fans are now starting to become more aware of what the defensive workhorse and deft low post scorer means to the program as she looks to leave her mark in her final season.

“This is my last year so I really wanted to make it special and a big one,” Tabakman said. “We were here all throughout the summer and worked out really hard. We didn’t have a lot of post players, so I got a chance to work with the guards a lot so it kind of helped me expand my game on the perimeter a little bit more.”

Despite early struggles in non-conference play for the Rams (3-4), Tabakman has made her presence known both on the defensive end and scoring. She averages two blocks and 13.4 points a game on near 57 percent shooting from the floor, good enough for second in the Atlantic 10. She has worked hard in the offseason and her progress over the past few years has been apparent. In her junior season her offensive repertoire substantially increased, with her field goal percentage rising 10 percent to an eye-catching 50.

One reason for Tabakman’s motivation to bring it all together was the special one-on-one attention she received from URI great and NBA champion Lamar Odom, who advised her on how to hone her offensive game.

“After practice one day he just stayed and showed me a couple of things,” Tabakman said. “It was really cool to learn something from someone like that. I remember struggling the season before he came. He played at such a high level so it’s a really cool experience to learn from someone like that.”

Odom showed her a couple of post moves, and through his expertise and validation of Tabakman’s potential and skill she gained confidence in her ability to lead. Her presence in the paint causes many opponents to alter their shot, or more likely, have their shot swatted away. Her role as defensive anchor has fit in well with a group of rising players, determined to prove that they have taken that next step to legitimize the program.

Tabakman’s growth coincided nicely with that of her team, who rose from the proverbial ashes after a 7-23 season and underwent a complete revamping of the program with a 17-13 record in 2014-15 campaign.

“It means so much for us,” Tabakman said. “We had a really rough two years before, but last year everything just changed. The attitudes of the players. Of course the record showed of how much of a difference it made. We’re just trying to build from that and keep it moving forward. The mentality changed. I felt happier to be around everyone. It was just a better atmosphere.”

The team is off to a bit of a slow start this season, but have proved capable of competing with a quality talent including No. 19 Syracuse, who endured all they could handle in a narrow 57-54 win. Tabakman knows that the team is primed to bust out, and right the ship toward a path that could lead to A-10 prosperity.

“Of course the beginning didn’t go the way we wanted it to,” Tabakman said. “We just watched a lot of film on it and learned a lot from those games. It really helps us to build for these next few games. There’s a few things we need to work one. The two things we talk about is communication and discipline.”

Tabakman will look to continue to hone her game, and as captain will help foster the growth of her young teammates as well.

“It’s definitely a learning experience as I go on, but it’s nice to have that for my last year,” Tabakman said. “Just to lead other people and make an impact.”

She has made an impact in the early goings, and potential success for the Rams will be dependent on her sustained production as the complete, all-around talent she has become for this hopeful squad.