The Jamestown Community College men's basketball coach certainly liked what he saw.

The feeling was mutual.

Article Photos

Jamestown Community College basketball player Sam Joseph, center, signs his letter of intent to continue his academic and athletic career at the University of Bridgeport in the fall. He is flanked by JCC head coach George Sisson, left, and assistant coach Jim Rissel.
P-J photo by Scott Kindberg

"He wanted to go somewhere where he'd have a chance to compete," Sisson said.

A Jayhawk was about to take flight.

"When he arrived here he brought that mentality with him,'' Sisson added. "Whether he was running on the track, his mannerisms or his commitment, he was not going to be denied."

All that hard work has paid off and it has led him to a scholarship at the University of Bridgeport, a Division II school in Connecticut.

"I liked the family atmosphere, and the coach brought to my attention that they wanted me as a person, not only as a player," said Joseph, who signed his letter of intent Wednesday afternoon at the Physical Education Complex with Sisson, assistant coach Jim Rissel and several teammates looking on. "They also have a nice foundation and a nice history behind the school. It's a nice academic school and I'm pretty much ready to make a big impact, on and off the floor."

The Brooklyn native certainly did that in his one year at JCC.

The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 17.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 1.8 assists per game, while shooting 46.6 percent from the field, including 37.1 percent from 3-point range. Along the way, he scored 37 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including 7-of-10 from 3-point range, in a win over Corning CC; and he broke the 20-point mark in 12 of the Jayhawks' 30 games, including a Region 3-high 27 in a 100-85 win over Genesee CC.

Those gaudy stats, in combination with the Jayhawks' 23-7 record and a berth in the Region 3 championship game, drew plenty of attention. Enough, in fact, that Joseph was named a NJCAA Division II third-team All-American.

"Obviously, he can flat-out shoot the ball, he's got long range and the other contribution he brings is the absolute desire to compete. It's fierce,'' Sisson said. "And, he's mature.''

Joseph, 19, began his career at Division II C.W. Post, spent a season at the CC of Rhode Island and then came to JCC after Sisson made his sales pitch last summer in the Big Apple.

"On the court, I had some great teammates this year,'' Joseph said. "I was blessed to play with guys - Tyler Mcleggan and Rakim Lesane - I've known for a long time. Anyone that is trying to come to JCC, this is a great place. You'll build a bond not only with the coaches, but you'll also have great teammates to last a lifetime.''

At Bridgeport, a member of the East Coast Conference, Joseph will join a program that finished 15-14 last season under head coach Mike Ruane, who just completed his 16th season.

"We've not only gotten a complete player, but also a complete person who was able to blossom while at Jamestown under the great job of the basketball staff,'' Ruane said. "We are extremely excited to have Sam coming to the University of Bridgeport. He's a multi-talented guard who will make an immediate impact for us, both on and off the court."

Added Joseph, who earned an associate's degree in general studies at JCC and who plans to major in sports management at Bridgeport: "We started with 14 players and we ended with 14. We're really proud of that. Academically, we did well. As a team, they'll remember us in the region.''

Sisson will remember his team fondly, too.

"The legacy is going to be the level of commitment that group brought,'' he said.

For more articles about JCC athletics and local Jamestown sports, go to http://www.post-journal.com/page/category.detail/nav/5019/Sports.html