Sam Bassett’s days of being a goofy kid on and off the soccer field are just about over.
The years of work put in by the University of Denver men’s soccer midfielder are coming to fruition. Now it’s all business — a notion solidified by his choice to forego the 2024 MLS SuperDraft.
Voted a second-team All-American last year as a junior after leading a battered team to a 12-3-5 record (7-0-1 Summit League) and the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the Littleton native is destined for the next level. But he decided he wasn’t done yet at DU.
Fast forward, and Bassett is the best player on the best team in the country. With 10 goal contributions in nine games, he has DU undefeated (5-0-4) and atop the Top Drawer Soccer rankings for the third week in a row. The Pioneers, despite a storied history — especially in the past decade — have never been ranked higher than third before this season.
“I think we have something special here, and you can see it with the results we’ve had,” Bassett told The Denver Post. “But we still want more. And our goal in the end is the national championship. That’s what we’re striving for here and I didn’t feel like it was finished after last season.”
A derailed season, desire for more
While last year’s squad finished 12-3-5, the promise of that campaign was altered by injuries to three integral players. Perennial starting defenders Trevor Wright and Ronan Wynne suffered season-ending injuries before they played a minute in 2023. Pioneers captain and Bassett’s partner in the midfield, Ben Smith, played six games before picking up a season-ender of his own.
Still, the Pioneers gave up only one goal in the Summit League during the regular season. And just about every starter — Wright, Wynne and Smith included — had 2024 in their back pocket.
The catch now: This year is Bassett’s last in crimson and gold. And the last for Wynne, Smith and a few other important seniors, too.
So the work this offseason had to be as serious as both the goal and the decision to stay in college. According to Pioneers coach Jamie Franks, Bassett’s was exactly that.
“Your actions must meet your ambition, and (Bassett’s) ambition is to play at the highest level,” Franks told The Post. “It doesn’t matter if you’re our top player, you’re going to be held to the highest standards and to your own standards. He’s pushed himself and he’s challenged himself and the areas he was weak in last year, he took ownership of it and he found processes and habits that he slowly built.
“It’s a model of how to grow and when you’re at the top and when you’re an All-American, how do you find the small margins to get better? That’s what I’m most impressed by.”
For Bassett, that meant getting better at the dirty work: Tracking back defensively, getting into defensive duels and positioning himself better on defense, if not winning the ball back entirely.
That required, as Franks put it, the “cliché” of becoming fitter and stronger physically and mentally.
“It doesn’t matter what condition the game is in or what’s going on in the game, he’s able to adapt,” Franks said. “I think maybe a year ago, he wasn’t as versatile, he wasn’t as consistent and overall, I think the easiest word is his reliability has gone way up.”
Brotherly competition
Steady improvement has been the cornerstone of Bassett’s rise for years.
Cole Bassett, Sam’s brother and star Colorado Rapids Homegrown midfielder, remembers the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic fondly — as much as anyone could, at least — for the unquantifiable time the two were able to put into the game. By that time, Sam was not yet a Pioneer and Cole was well on his way to becoming a Rapids starter.
Back then, at least for Sam, the margins Franks talks about were much larger. Any opportunity to get better was welcomed and taken, going out to a local high school with Cole and a couple of friends five days a week to do hours of finishing drills. The brothers naturally have a competitive edge, but the drills-turned-contests brought out the best in both of them.
Back then, Sam was just a goofy kid who had a rocket of a leg, Cole remembers. Eventually, the competitor in Sam took over.
With packed schedules and constant training with their respective teams, the two don’t get those moments much anymore. Cole insists he still doesn’t let Sam beat him in shooting drills but admits Sam has the more powerful shot.
Most of their internal competition now relies on highlights they see of the other from games. They don’t necessarily try to one-up each other, but every goal Cole sees Sam score inspires him, and vice versa.
In a 2-1 win over Seattle on Sunday, Sept. 22, Sam scored the winner from distance off a short free kick. He sprinted to the corner after the net reverberated, slid on his knees and saluted the crowd with the straightest of faces.
“Whenever he scores goals and when he does a celebration, just how intense he gets and how serious he is, it just makes me laugh and smile to see how far he’s come,” Cole Bassett said.
One last shot at a title
For Sam Bassett, a national championship is now or never.
All signs point to that as a realistic finish for what could very well be the best Pioneers team ever, with Bassett leading the charge. So far, they’ve beaten top teams like No. 2 Stanford and have drawn to others like No. 4 SMU, No. 15 UCLA and Portland.
Neither Bassett nor Franks has thought much about the team’s No. 1 ranking. While it’s history and ultimately a nice honor, the team won’t allow itself to get distracted by it.
“It’s cool to get the recognition, but ultimately it puts more of a target on us when people come and play us,” Bassett said. “We don’t think about it much because it will ultimately be who’s standing last. You could be 20th in the country and still end up winning national championships. All that matters is whoever is the best in the middle of December.
“We want to play the best because we know we are the best, so it’s been really good to have that test. The Summit League is always growing, so those will be some really tough games, too.”
The Pioneers begin their Summit League schedule Wednesday against Oral Roberts. Their only nonconference remaining match is next Monday at No. 3 Pittsburgh.
With Bassett and other key pieces down to one last year of eligibility, there’s a sense of urgency. But the only thing that truly matters is whether or not the team is getting better.
And as a result, maybe a title will follow.
“We’re trying to find a balance of not basing everything on outcomes,” Franks said. “Winning a national championship is an outcome, so we’re really focused on the process and the habits that are going to help us do that.
“Is there added pressure? I don’t think so, but I do think there’s a heightened sense of awareness that this team is special.”
On all counts, Bassett represents what his team is and should be: Exercise your strengths, own and work on your weaknesses, and finish the job.
DU men’s soccer schedule
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| Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Wed. | Oral Roberts* | 6 p.m. |
| Sat. | St. Thomas* | 1 p.m. |
| Oct. 7 | at Pittsburgh | 5 p.m. |
| Oct. 12 | at Kansas City* | 6 p.m. |
| Oct. 16 | Omaha* | 6 p.m. |
| Oct. 26 | at St. Thomas* | 11 a.m. |
| Oct. 30 | Kansas City* | 6 p.m. |
| Nov. 2 | at Oral Roberts* | 6 p.m. |
| Nov. 9 | at Omaha* | 1 p.m. |
* Summit League game
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