Omar Samhan
Encyclopedia
Omar Samhan is an American
professional basketball
center
for the Žalgiris Kaunas
of the Euroleague
. Formerly, Samhan played college basketball for the St. Mary's Gaels
, where he was a 2010 All-American
honorable mention, and played for the Dallas Mavericks
in the NBA's summer league
. Samhan attended San Ramon Valley High School
.
. He played center for the team, and, after scoring 61 points in two NCAA tournament
victories, including 32 points in a win over Villanova
, he had been called the "dominant player/personality" of the opening rounds of the 2010 tournament. Samhan was named to the 2010 All-American
list as an Honorable mention as a result for his efforts in the regular season and the tournament.
in the NBA Summer League
in 2010
but did not make the final roster. Samhan instead signed with Žalgiris Kaunas
for 2010–2012 and has an option to prolong the contract for one more year.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
for the Žalgiris Kaunas
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
of the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
. Formerly, Samhan played college basketball for the St. Mary's Gaels
2009–10 Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team represented Saint Mary's College of California in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Randy Bennett's ninth season at Saint Mary's. The Gaels compete in the West Coast Conference and played their home games at the McKeon...
, where he was a 2010 All-American
2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
honorable mention, and played for the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the NBA's summer league
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
. Samhan attended San Ramon Valley High School
San Ramon Valley High School
San Ramon Valley High School is a four-year public high school located in the East Bay neighborhood of Danville, California, USA. San Ramon Valley High School is one of the schools in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. It is a National Blue Ribbon school from the Blue Ribbon Schools...
.
College career
Samhan is a former college basketball player for the St. Mary's Gaels2009–10 Saint Mary's College Gaels men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Saint Mary's Gaels men's basketball team represented Saint Mary's College of California in the 2009–10 college basketball season. This was head coach Randy Bennett's ninth season at Saint Mary's. The Gaels compete in the West Coast Conference and played their home games at the McKeon...
. He played center for the team, and, after scoring 61 points in two NCAA tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
victories, including 32 points in a win over Villanova
2009–10 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team
The 2009-10 Villanova Wildcats men's basketball team represented Villanova University in the 2009–10 college basketball season. Villanova was led by head coach Jay Wright. The Wildcats participated in the Big East Conference and played their home games at The Pavilion with some select home games...
, he had been called the "dominant player/personality" of the opening rounds of the 2010 tournament. Samhan was named to the 2010 All-American
2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
list as an Honorable mention as a result for his efforts in the regular season and the tournament.
Professional career
Samhan played for the Dallas MavericksDallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the NBA Summer League
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
in 2010
2010 in basketball
Tournaments include international , professional and amateur and collegiate levels.-Men's tournaments:* 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey** ** All-tournament team:*** Kevin Durant, *** Linas Kleiza,...
but did not make the final roster. Samhan instead signed with Žalgiris Kaunas
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
for 2010–2012 and has an option to prolong the contract for one more year.