HADLEY – Living with the last name of Roe, as a basketball player, just down the road from UMass, could be a burden.
The name is synonymous with success.
Continuing the legacy of the Roe name after his father Lou, a UMass legend, is not a problem for Sam’i Roe of the Hopkins Academy boys basketball team. It’s a motivator and a powerful one at that.
“A lot of people expect me to be great like my father,” Roe said. “I always have that in my mind. Gives me motivation to be the best I can be.”
Lou Roe never pushed basketball on Sam’i, instead he let his son choose his own path.
“I always encourage whatever he wanted to do,” Lou Roe said.
But around the age of 10, Sam’i developed an interest in basketball, much to the delight of his father.
“It’s been a blessing to see him embrace the sport,” Lou Roe said. “But I am sure there are expectations and pressure because of dad.”
Lou Roe is an assistant director of basketball operations at UMass, and he said his son being around college players has helped his progression.
“Being around the program gives him a lot of role models,” Lou Roe said. “I see a lot of myself in him. But he is own person, and he is building his own legacy.”
This season, the Golden Hawks have a chance to win three consecutive Western Massachusetts titles.
Sam’i Roe will be a tough cover for his opponents in Division 4: his first step is lightning fast, he has handle, good court vision and a polished outside shot that he worked on in the offseason.
“I am working on team leadership and being more aggressive,” Roe said. “On both sides. My shot has been better. I did about 500 shots a day.”
Another aspect of Roe’s game that he focused on intently was free throws.
“That cost us the game last year,” Roe said of the state semifinal loss. “I really worked on that.”
The points will come for Roe as he is the focal point of the offense. But Hopkins coach Angelo Thomas wants Roe to keep his teammates involved as much as possible.
“If he is scoring 30 points a game it’s got to be in the flow of what we do,” Thomas said. “If he wants to be the best Sam’i he has to keep everyone around him happy too.”
Another aspect of Roe’s game that Thomas would like to see more of is his ability to move without the ball.
“He’s got to give it up to get it back,” Thomas said. “There are parts of the game he needs to get better at. What does he do without the ball? Set screens, keep moving. At the next level, he won’t dominate the ball.”
Roe has teammates from last year that he can rely on.
Jon Morrison is a rugged inside presence for the Golden Hawks. He can bang and work the glass with anybody in Division 4, and he gives Hopkins a player who can score with his back to the basket.
John Earle will slide into the departed Brett Morrison spot as the team’s most deadly 3-point shooter. At times last year coming off the bench, Earle caught fire with his jump shot. With more opportunities he should find that rhythm even more this season.
The Golden Hawks also got a gift from below the Mason-Dixon Line — Irvin Compass, an 18-year-old senior transfer from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Compass is a shooting guard with a soft jumper and, like Roe, can get to the rim with his quickness and first step.
“I am a shooter, but mostly mid-range,” Compass said. “That’s where I can have an impact. Drive and pull up. I bring a lot of energy on the court.”
Compass is a compact player, very strong; and Thomas sees him having a huge impact on defense.
“He’s got a lot of potential,” Thomas said. “He’s fast as greased lightning with long arms and he’s strong. His other roles are up to him. He can shoot it and get to the hole.”
Roe flirted with the idea of going to prep school but decided to return to his teammates and finish his Golden Hawks’ career in style.
“I came back to help the team win a state championship,” Roe said.
Thomas was obviously happy with Roe’s decision to finish his career at Hopkins.
“He explored it,” Thomas said. “Maybe it wasn’t the right fit. This is a really good fit. The people around him really care. Hopkins is one of the best schools in the state.”
Hopkins lacks size and won’t have the same depth that it had a last year. The Golden Hawks will need new contributions from players like Justin Ciaglo, Nathan Kelley, Caleb Graves and Brock King.
“We have four or five core players,” Thomas said. “And the rest need to prove themselves.”
