University of Miami Athletics
21

Sam Waardenburg

position

Forward

Height

6-10

Weight

225 lbs.

Class

Sixth-Year Redshirt Senior

Hometown

Auckland, New Zealand

High School

Rangitoto College

Instagram

@samwaard21

Sam Waardenburg - Men's Basketball - University of Miami Athletics

As a Sixth-Year Redshirt Senior (2021-22): All-ACC Academic Team … NABC Honors Court
Appeared in 35 of 37 games, missing two due to COVID-19 protocols, and started 34 times … Averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game … Shot 52.8 percent from the floor, 41.8 percent from deep and 70.3 percent at the line … Led Miami in blocks and 3-point percentage, while placing second in field-goal percentage and offensive rebounding (1.0) and third in assists … Finished his career No. 12 on Miami’s blocked shots list (100) … On the Hurricanes’ ACC-only career leaderboards, placed fourth in blocks (57), fourth in 3-point percentage (39.6), sixth in rebounds (284) and sixth in minutes (1,766) … Took the No. 12 spot on the program’s single-season 3-point chart (41.8) … In ACC-only single-season play, finished third at Miami in 3-point clip (45.6), co-fourth in blocks (24) and eighth in field-goal percentage (53.9) … Set the program’s career NCAA Tournament blocks record (12) and tied the single-game record (four), as well as placed sixth in career assists (13) and field-goal percentage (52.4) … Finished with the fourth-most blocks in ACC Tournament play (eight) in program history and tied the third-highest single-game total (three) … Placed seventh in the ACC in blocks per game (No. 104 in NCAA) … In ACC-only play, ranked fifth in the league in blocks (1.3) … First Hurricane since the 1985-86 program rebirth to average 2.0 assists and 1.0 block per game while shooting over 30 percent from deep (min. 15 3PA) … Sixth ACC player in the last 30 years to average at least 2.0 assists and 1.0 block per game while shooting 40 percent on 3-pointers (min. 1 3PM per game) and one of only eight DI players to do so in 2021-22 … Scored in double figures 13 times, with 15-plus on five occasions and 20-plus once … Pulled down at least five rebounds in 14 outings, including in nine of the final 15 games, with eight-plus in five … Dished out three-plus assists 13 times, with five-plus in four contests … Notched multiple blocks 14 times, including in all six postseason games, with three-plus eight times, including thrice in the postseason … Played 30-plus minutes on 20 occasions, including in 13 of the last 14 contests, while eclipsing 35 six times … Led or co-led Miami in blocks a team-best 21 times, including in all six postseason games, as well as in rebounding on seven occasions, in assists four times, in scoring thrice and in steals twice … Tied for the second-most made free throws in a game without a miss (six) by a Hurricane on the year and posted all but three of the team’s 11 outings with three-plus blocks … Opened the season with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals versus Canisius (11/9) … Scored 16 points against UCF (11/13), shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-4 at the line … Posted 14 points, his first time ever leading Miami in scoring, and three assists at Penn State (12/1), shooting 4-of-8 on 3-pointers … Tallied 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including a 4-of-7 mark beyond the arc, versus Clemson (12/4), adding three assists and two blocks … Notched 12 points and four assists against Stetson (12/20) … Missed Miami’s games against NC State (12/29) and Wake Forest (1/1) due to COVID-19 protocols … Recorded five assists and three blocks in the win at second-ranked Duke (1/8) … Scored a career-high 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, including a 5-of-6 ledger from deep, also setting career bests in makes in both areas, in the win over eventual NCAA runner-up North Carolina (1/18) … Logged 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting, including hitting both his 3-pointers, in 36 minutes at Virginia Tech (1/26) … Amassed 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes against Georgia Tech (2/9), shooting 5-of-8 overall, 3-of-4 from deep and 6-of-6 at the line, the latter a career best in makes, becoming the only Power Six player with 19p/8r/5a/75 3p%/100ft% in a game all season … Registered 12 points and a career-high-tying three steals in the victory at RV/No. 25 Wake Forest (2/12) … Compiled eight points, a season-best nine rebounds and three blocks in Miami’s first-ever win at Louisville (2/16) … Scored 12 points at Pittsburgh (2/22) … Tallied 10 points, three assists and a career-high-tying three steals against Virginia Tech (2/26) in his final home game … Put up 16 points, five boards, four assists and two steals at Boston College (3/2), shooting 5-of-7 overall, 3-of-5 from deep and 3-of-3 at the line … Recorded nine points and a season-high-tying and nine rebounds in a season-best 39 minutes, adding three blocks, in the ACC Tournament quarterfinal overtime win over Boston College (3/10) … Set a career high with seven assists against seventh-ranked Duke (3/11) in the ACC Tournament semifinals … Posted a career-best four blocked shots in the NCAA Tournament-opening win over No. 21/22 USC (3/18) … Recorded 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks in 35 minutes in the Sweet 16 victory against Iowa State (3/25).

As a Redshirt Senior (2020-21): Season did not count towards eligibility due to COVID-19 pandemic … Missed the entire campaign due to a left foot injury sustained in October during preseason practice.

As a Redshirt Junior (2019-20): Played in 30 of 31 games, missing one due to injury, and earned 24 starts, including in each of the first 23 contests … Averaged 5.9 points, a team-high 6.0 rebounds and a team-best 1.1 blocks in 28.3 minutes per game … Placed No. 12 in the ACC in blocked shots per game and No. 11 in league-only play, also with 1.1 per contest … Tied for No. 10 on Miami’s ACC-only single-season blocks list (20) … Moved into the top 10 on the Hurricanes’ ACC-only career blocks list (33) … Scored in double figures five times, registered multiple blocked shots in nine appearances and played at least 30 minutes 10 times, including 40-plus thrice … Grabbed seven-plus rebounds 11 times, including reaching double figures in five appearances to lead the team … Paced Miami in rebounding in a team-best 13 outings, including doing so 10 times in the first 17 games … Put up nine points and a career-high 11 rebounds versus Florida Atlantic (11/8) … Notched 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting to go along with eight rebounds in 34 minutes in the win at Illinois (12/2) … Tallied 11 points and nine boards against Alabama A&M (12/14) … Set a career high with three blocked shots in 35 minutes in the victory over Temple (12/17) at the Barclays Center … Registered his first double-double with a 15-point, 11-rebound performance, both career highs, against Coppin State (12/21), finishing 6-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep to set a new top mark in made field goals and tie his best total in made 3-pointers … Scored 11 points versus second-ranked Duke (1/4) … Grabbed 10 boards at No. 13/11 Louisville (1/7) … Posted 10 rebounds and three assists, playing all 40 minutes, against Pittsburgh (1/12) … Tied his career high with 11 boards in a career-best 41 minutes against ninth-ranked Florida State (1/18) … Tied his career high with 15 points at eighth-ranked Florida State (2/8), finishing 4-of-4 from the floor and 6-of-6 at the line … Missed the game against Boston College (2/12) due to an injury sustained from getting elbowed in the face in practice the day prior … Tallied nine rebounds, a season-high-tying three assists and career-high-tying three blocks in an overtime win versus Syracuse (3/7) in the regular season finale … Grabbed eight boards and tied his career high with three steals against Clemson (3/11) in the ACC Tournament to cap the season.

As a Redshirt Sophomore (2018-19): Played in all 32 games, with 11 starts … Scored 10 points on perfect shooting (3-3 FG, 2-2 3FG, 2-2 FT) at Boston College (2/17) … Scored 10 points in 36 minutes at Virginia (2/2) … Recorded nine points in 30 minutes against Virginia Tech (1/30) … Scored 13 points on 4-for-4 shooting against Florida State (1/27) … Grabbed career-high nine rebounds and added six points and three assists in 26 minutes against Wake Forest (1/12) … Recorded eight rebounds at Louisville (1/6) … Scored career-high 14 points in 37 minutes at Penn (12/4) … Averaged 7.0 ppg and 4.3 rpg in three games at Wooden Legacy … Made first-career start and scored 11 points with career-high five rebounds in career-high 28 minutes in season opener against Lehigh (11/9).

As a Redshirt Freshman (2017-18): Played in 21 games off bench, including each of last 15 contests … Averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game … Shot 43.8 percent (14-32) from 3-point range … Averaged 16.7 minutes per game in conference play … Did not play in first three games of season (back) … Made solid Miami debut with seven points and two rebounds in 12 minutes of action vs. La Salle (11/22) … Scored nine points and added six rebounds against North Florida (11/25) … Saw first action in ACC play in final minute of first half at NC State (1/21) … Played 13 minutes off bench against Louisville and recorded career-high seven rebounds (1/24) … Hit three straight 3-pointers in second half and scored career-high 12 points in win over Wake Forest (2/7) … Nailed pair of 3-pointers and racked up three steals at Boston College (2/10) … Played season-high 23 minutes and pulled down six rebounds in comeback win over Boston College (2/24).

As a Freshman (2016-17): Enrolled at Miami at the semester break … Did not compete and redshirted.

High School: Won tournament MVP honors when he helped Rangitoto College win the SAS Secondary Schools National Championship, tallying 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the final game … Internationally, represented New Zealand in the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Championship in Kazakhstan … On the U17 team that won silver at the age-groups FIBA Oceania Championships … Member of the U16 team that won bronze at the Australian State Championships … Played in adidas Nations Tournament in Los Angeles, averaging 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds in five outings, finishing 7-of-11 from long range in the event and to be named one of the top 10 players of the camp … Participated in the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Charlottesville, Va. … Named the most outstanding player at both the Nike All Asia Camp in Beijing and the Basketball Without Borders Camp in Australia … Spent time with the Supercity Rangers and the Breakers Academy, which led him to a role as a development player for the SKYCITY Breakers … Played games in the United States with Harbour Basketball.

Personal: Born Feb. 21, 1999 … Spent three seasons (2017-20) as one of of three Hurricanes from the Australasia region of the South Pacific, alongside Dejan Vasiljevic and current teammate Deng Gak, both of Australia … Earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami in May 2020 after majoring in geography with a minor in sociology … Added a master’s degree in sport administration from Miami in August 2021 … Now enrolled in Miami’s graduate liberal studies program, pursuing a second master’s degree … Committed to Miami over offers from Virginia, SMU and Utah.