Life After Aycock
Sampson's days getting easier at Kansas
Senior guard found new home away from South Central L.A.
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
Charisse Sampson watched as the devil tried to take over Marlena's body.
But she just reclined in her chair, watched intently and didn't do a thing to help.
What could she do? After all, it was just an episode in the ongoing saga of the soap opera Sampson never misses, "Days of Our Lives."
Steve Puppe/KANSAN
The days of Sampson's life seem like a soap opera at times.
The obstacles that she has had to face — from a family unsupportive of her basketball career to the 1992 Los Angeles riots that basely missed her home — may seem more convoluted than the afternoon soaps.
"I wanted so badly just to get away that I worked hard for myself," she said. "I wanted to get away from my household, I wanted to get away from my family, I just wanted to get away."
Not only did Sampson get away from her Los Angeles roots, but also she found a home at Kansas. And the Kansas women's basketball team's only fourth-year senior will be looked upon to lead the Jayhawks this year.
"I expect Charisse Sampson to step up for us this season," Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said. "Charisse has had some unbelievable performances for us last season."
The 1992 Los Angeles riots almost reached Charisse Sampson's home on Vermont Street. Sampson said she worked hard in order to get away from her life in Los Angeles.
Last year, Sampson averaged 15.8 points a game and was a second-team all-Big Eight Conference selection. She led the Javahawks in scoring eight times as well.
The 5-foot-10 Sampson was able to average 6.9 rebounds
a game and recorded 11 boards in the Jayhawks firstround NCAA-tournament loss to Wisconsin. She scored 20 points or more in eight games last season.
But Sampson didn't always have success in scoring.
"She had six double-doubles last season, but then she had some games where she didn't score very well at all," Washington said.
Sampson said she didn't feel much pressure to succeed this season, even though many teammates would be calling her the leader.
"I've been doing the same thing I've been doing all along," she said. "I knew what was expected of me this year, and I wanted to do it mostly for myself."
Sampson will not have to carry the load alone. Junior guard Tamecka Dixon and sophomore guard Erinn Reed should give Kansas one of the quickest backcourts in the Big Eight.
Although Sampson has backing on the court this season, support was hard to come by growing up in Los Angeles.
"To this day, my mother has never seen me play basketball. My father's seen me play once, maybe twice," Sampson said. "My stepfather's seen me play the most — three times. I'm talking about junior high, high school and college."
As if her home life wasn't hard enough, Sampson lived on Vermont Street in South Central Los Angeles; and in 1992, the Los Angeles riots nearly went through her home.
"The riots started up on Vermont Street, and they were starting to work their way down toward our house," she said. "But they were stopped before they got to where I lived."
Sampson said that she only visited home about four or five days a year. She is happy with the more tranquil
12 The March to March
৩. সাংশ্লিষ্ট M ও গ্রাফে M এবং
- Hill • September 13, 1995
প্রোগ্রাম, এস টেবিলওয়ার্ক