Once upon a time, it looked like the Hauser brothers were destined to be a package deal. Marketed as such, the two had narrowed it down to three lucky finalists. Virginia, Wisconsin, and Michigan State. They visited all three schools, and the rumors were that Virginia and Wisconsin were the frontrunners for the highly-coveted duo.
That may have been the case—until they were no longer a duo. Sam was taken by UVA and Coach Bennett, the reigning national champs, while MSU and Tom Izzo caught Joey’s eye. Out of all the possible scenarios involving the two brothers, this one was seldom talked about. But there they were, having made their decisions. One to Virginia, one to Michigan State, Wisconsin left out entirely.
Who won the transaction? Well, certainly not Wisconsin. But that leaves the Hoos and the Spartans. Sam or Joey? For the year that awaits, there’s only one answer. Sam is clearly the superior one of the two at the moment, and contrasting their productions from two years ago at Marquette makes that much clear enough.
Down the road, Izzo may well be getting a better deal. The younger Hauser did, after all, average a point per game more in his freshman season than his older brother did. And he even had a better three point percentage in that final season. But dwelling on the decision is pointless. For Wahoo fans, the down the road aspect of the two doesn’t really matter. Sam Hauser is at Virginia for this season, not the next three. And that could be enough to leave a lasting legacy.
Sam was stymied at Marquette
Having somebody on your team who scores 25 points per game is, by all accounts, a good thing for obvious reasons. Who wouldn’t want somebody who drops 30 as easily as some people score 10? Certainly the fans wouldn’t mind, nor the coaches. But what of the other players?
Well, they might not be so thrilled with the idea. There’s always been arguments about whether a one-man team is as good as one that works together. Sure, that one player will come up with incredible shots and ridiculous stat-lines. But they’ll also tend to take a lot of ill-advised shots, and miss quite a few of them. Naturally, this might draw some animosity from teammates who think that one player is responsible for wasted possessions.
If Sam Hauser shared this view or not, I don’t know. Either way, there’s no arguing the point that Markus Howard took shots away from him and affected his output. Maybe that was to the betterment of the team. It wasn’t, however, doing any favors to Hauser’s numbers. The fact that he averaged nearly 15 points in his latest season is astounding when you factor in Markus Howard’s 17.6 shots per game.
That’s up against 11 for Sam, still not an insignificant number by any stretch of the imagination. But in a more balanced world, that number would have been higher. Maybe Hauser would have gone for closer to 20 points a game. This year, we should have a chance to find out.
Although nothing has been officially confirmed to my knowledge, there is much speculation about why the brothers transferred. Speculation centered around Howard’s return for his final year and a need to get out of his shadow. People are probably right in this assumption. If that truly is the reason, it makes it even more interesting to see what Sam will do once he’s been freed from those bonds.
He can do everything
Maybe not everything, but pretty damn close. He’s 45% from deep for his career at Marquette, and these are not just open shots. No, many are hand-in-the-face, contested jumpers that have no business finding their way to the basket. It’s truly astounding what he can do from behind the line given his stature.
Really, Sam is a guard in a forward’s body—who can also play inside. Seriously, there’s very little the kid can’t do. The numbers are proof enough that he can hit it from downtown, but to really understand it you need to see him in action. I’ve put a video from his 31 point explosion against Georgetown below, and only once you’ve seen it can you really grasp just how good Hauser is.
He stands at 6 foot 8. Normally, somebody with those dimensions is solely a forward. Their role would be to shoot some threes, get some looks inside, maybe put the ball on the floor occasionally. But most people aren’t Sam Hauser. Most people don’t weigh 225 lbs, or shoot 45% from three. Most people aren’t close to as good as the player that will suit up for the Hoos next year.
On a team that has a below-average number of people capable of creating their own shot, Hauser is a massive outlier. He can find his shot almost at will. Curling around ball screens, using pump-fakes to get his opponent in the air, working them down in the post—the list goes on. And he has a deceivingly quick release for such a big guy. Perhaps not Kyle Guy level, but more than respectable all the same.
Already being 6 foot 8, he also reaches his arms to the ceiling before releasing the shot, giving him a little bit of extra length. Not many people are going to be able to block a 6′ 8″ guy with a 7 foot wingspan who releases the ball as quickly as this one does.
Shall I keep going? Hauser is a very smart player and will likely come out of a year with Tony Bennett even smarter. He can play inside, he can play out, and he can even complement Jay Huff if necessary (though hopefully that will fall to Francisco Caffaro). Fast, strong, athletic, smart, tall—I really can’t say enough good things about Sam.
Of course, the only thing that may hold him back will be the vaunted Pack Line. Who knows how far he’s come after his obligatory sit-out year, so that could be the one thing that could take away minutes. However, I see that as a nonissue. As he’s already had a year and then some to learn it, Sam should be tearing out of the gates without anything to hold him back.
Sam’s role in the team
People may be waiting to reserve judgement until the season starts, or else enjoying(?) the lull from sports at the moment. Whatever it may be, it seems that some are hesitant to predict the greatness that’s destined to come. With the possible exception of Kihei Clark, odds are he’ll have the most minutes on the team. There shouldn’t be any of the normal inhibitions that freshmen are often met with.
For one thing, Sam is by no means a freshman. He comes in with a large pot of knowledge on the college game to draw from after his three years in the Big East. And as already mentioned, he’s had time to pick up the defense. So there really shouldn’t be anything holding Sam back in his first and only year. Expect him to start right from the off.
As to how he fits into the offense, that’s a more complicated question. He’ll be used as a forward, of course, given that that’s his position. Sam will shoot a lot of threes, but he can also use his midrange and inside game when needed. He’s going to be a real pain for opposing defenses to guard because of all the ways he can score.
And while they’re focused on Kihei Clark to the rim, they might miss him waiting for the ball. Or maybe the defense will be keyed in on Jay Huff in the low post and lose sight of the player cutting on the other side or setting up for a three. Hauser just adds an extra dimension to this offense that was lost when the “big three” graduated after the national championship.
Truly, there’s so many ways that Hauser can hurt you that his impact on this offense will cause immeasurable gain. But there’s still months left until we’ll see him on the court. So in the meantime, feel free to jack up your expectations as high as you want. You won’t be disappointed.