Sam Iorio was a relative unknown last season when he joined Hapoel Beersheba, and that continued into this year as the naturalized American received very few minutes to show his wares on the basketball courts across Israel.
The 26-year-old Iorio attended a trio of colleges, from American University to South Alabama and finally Niagara, where he spent his final two years of college eligibility and began to make his mark as a power forward, averaging roughly 8 points and 6 boards a game.
In the summer of 2022, Iorio was part of the United States Maccabiah team, coached by Doug Gottlieb, that took home the gold medal. He had plenty of Israeli basketball eyes on him, which led to him inking a deal with Beersheba following his last year with Niagara.
“Sam is a very talented and versatile scorer,” Gottlieb said of Iorio after he joined Beersheba. “He is an incredibly passionate young man who loves his team and teammates. He works incredibly hard at his craft, and his intense focus on basketball is virtually unmatched. Sam Iorio will be very productive in Israel.”
Daniel Ravitz, the club’s sporting director, said at the time of his signing: “Sam has the potential to develop into a very good domestic player in Israel. We are very happy that we were able to sign him on a long-term contract, and we are sure that all parties will benefit from this.”
Iorio's growth
Under the southern reds’ previous head coach, Oren Aharoni, the 6-foot-7 Iorio was given a small role, playing about 10 minutes per game in 13 contests while averaging just 1.5 points. That continued into this campaign as he played well under 10 minutes per game – until Rami Hadar, who had been coaching in Kosovo over the past few years, returned to take over the reins of the club he had become synonymous with between 2018-2022.
With the return of one of Israeli basketball’s veteran tacticians, Iorio’s playing time started to soar to just over 20 minutes per game while scoring 13 points in each of his last two games and giving Hadar and his squad solid defense and drive from beginning to end in each matchup.
“When I came here, Sam was in his second season with the team,” Hadar began. “He didn’t play much. First of all, when I arrived, other than Sam, there weren’t any power forwards on the team. The first thing I did was try him out and give him a chance to play, and I wasn’t disappointed. Sam has progressed, he is a professional, always plays hard, puts in effort, and can shoot as well. He also knows how to switch on defense, especially on the pick-and-roll, which is rare for big men to be able to do. Overall, I am really enjoying coaching him.”
After Beersheba’s last game, Iorio, who scored 13 points against Maccabi Tel Aviv, spoke about the trust Hadar has put in him.
“I appreciate that he has faith in me, and he demands a standard. When you’re held to that standard and push yourself every day, there is no choice but to be better. I am trusting the process, and we have a great group of guys and a great staff.”
“You’ve got to just trust that process,” Iorio continued. “We have to try to stay the course. We have a great team that is coming together – we are figuring it out, and we have been figuring it out. I’m here to do whatever I can do to help and share my influence while helping the team win.”
Over the years, Hapoel Beersheba has featured a number of former Maccabiah participants, including Spencer Weisz, who has been playing in Israel since featuring for the United States gold medal team back in 2017. Iorio is yet another Maccabiah graduate who has a chance to carve out a significant career in the Holy Land, and that is also true for future participants, with the next group slated to play this summer in Israel.
“It’s exciting, and that was something that I was hesitant to do,” Iorio explained about playing in the Maccabiah. “I was kind of talked into doing it, and it was one of the best decisions of my life. It’s a great experience, first and foremost, and anything beyond that is just extra. The two years that I did it were some of the best memories that I have and some of the most special relationships that I have. It’s kind of crazy how close you can get to the guys in two weeks to a month. It’s definitely a great experience, and I think that no matter what, it was really worth it.”
There is no doubt that the Allentown, Pennsylvania, native didn’t know what was in store when he played in the 2019 Budapest Maccabiah and then the big games back in Israel in 2022. But what is clear is that he is starting to make a real impact in Israel and is seeing his professional career take off thanks to his hard work, dedication, and the chance to show what he can truly do now that Rami Hadar is back in the saddle.
Next up for Iorio and Beersheba is yet another tough challenge in Hapoel Tel Aviv, marking back-to-back games against the country’s finest. But if the last game was any indication, Iorio will once again rise to the occasion, as he did this past week against Maccabi Tel Aviv, as he continues to develop into a true-blue Israeli hoopster.