Hamdy finds success in RVA

VCU is known for the diverse student body is possesses, but for the men’s basketball team, a newcomer’s journey to Richmond is unlike any of his teammates. Rams big man, Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed, is a native of Egypt.

Hamdy is new to the team this year, but is making a significant impact with his strong defense and rebounding. While the Rams were projected to place fifth in the Atlantic 10 conference this season, they have shocked many, but Hamdy said the team was not surprised at all at how well they have performed thus far.

“We just proved them wrong first of all,” Hamdy said. “That yeah we can do better than what they thought, and they looked down on us a lot and stuff like that. I mean we proved that we can win the conference and maybe win the tournament and first place in the conference.”

On the court, Hamdy appears calm, cool and collected. He never gets too excited when he makes the 3-point play, or gets a put-back bucket from an offensive rebound, although his teammates celebrate enthusiastically around him. While Hamdy does not like to talk about himself much, he describes himself as a team player.

“I like to help my team win.” Hamdy said. “I don’t like to be selfish, but sometimes I do it in order to help my team. I’ve realized lately that I can help my team by not even scoring. I can help with my defense and rebounding, so I’m going to keep doing that.”

Hamdy has claimed his role on a team with many scoring weapons and has aspirations for the team and himself for the rest of the season.

“My team goal is to win the regular season and have a ticket for the NCAA Tournament, so that’s my main goal,” Hamdy said. “My personal goal is of course to help the team win, and I want to lead the conference in rebounds.”

While the Rams up-tempo style of play can be tiring, exhaustion does not enter Hamdy’s mind when he is on the court because he has a lot to play for other than himself these days. He plays for his family, teammates and coaches.

“What keeps me going is that I want to achieve my goals.” Hamdy said. “I know my parents are back home watching and it gives me a lot of motivation and energy, so even though I’m tired, I just think about that and keep going no matter what. I also think about us being in the tournament in March.”

Erika Robinson, Contributing Writer