Omar Samhan Signs with Lithuanian Pro Team

By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

Recent St. Mary’s University graduate Omar Samhan has been spending the month of July impressing onlookers as a member of the Dallas Mavericks’ summer league team in Las Vegas. However, he seems to have done a self-assessment and determined that he needs additional time to prepare for any possible National Basketball Association career. So it was announced that the Egyptian-Irish-American had signed a two year contract with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. Mavericks General Manager Donnie Nelson has spent a lot of time overseas and has many ties, and he was reportedly responsible for finding this spot for Samhan in the surprisingly competitive Lithuanian basketball league. Samhan took part in the Las Vegas summer league and was impressive to most scouts. And he certainly made a big splash in this past April’s NCAA tournament when he led St. Mary’s to the Sweet 16. Most evaluators have indicated that while Samhan has impressive footwork, post-moves, and work ethic, he will have to improve his agility. Perhaps a two year stint in Europe will allow him more time to reach an NBA-appropriate fitness level, especially if Lithuanian food is less than appetizing. The contract is for two years with a team option for the 2012-2013 season.

12-33