Samet Becomes YU’s All-Time Leading Scorer as Macs Go Undefeated in Skyline Play, Clinch Top Seed
Yeshiva University Maccabees guard Zevi Samet (YC ‘26) became YU’s all-time leading scorer in men’s basketball on Jan. 17, surpassing Ryan Turell (SSSB ‘22) with 2,163 career points.
Samet scored 23 points on 9-of-15 shooting and added five assists as the Macs defeated St. Joseph’s University Brooklyn, 95-75. Turell’s career record had stood since 2022. The win also marked Coach Elliot Steinmetz’s 200th career victory with the Macs.
Two weeks later, on Jan. 31, Samet set the school’s single-game scoring record, finishing with 52 points in a 110-72 win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy. He shot 10-of-15 from three-point range in addition to seven rebounds and three steals. The previous record of 51 points was set by Turell against Manhattanville College in 2021.
The Macs have gone undefeated in the Skyline Conference at 16-0 and have, for the second time ever, clinched its top seed heading into the postseason.
“Congrats Zevi Samet on breaking the single game scoring record at @YUNews with 52 points tonight,” Steinmetz posted on X on Feb. 1. “Ryan Turell said it when you were a freshman - ‘That kid is going to break all my scoring records.’”
Samet previously broke Turell’s mark for fastest player in Macs history to reach 1,000 career points, doing so in 46 games — one fewer than Turell.
Samet told The Commentator that “it feels cool” to break these records, “but to be honest it feels cooler that each milestone and step in my journey here in YU has been a new opportunity to use my platform to inspire others.”
“The points are cool but they were never the goal,” he said. “The goal was to do what I love and to inspire others through that. The fact that more people hear my name through my basketball accolades is an excitement, something that I can’t wait to see how I can, im yirtzah Hashem, use my platform to connect, inspire and bring others closer to Hashem, each in their own way!”
Samet was later named Skyline Conference Player of the Week, USBWA Division III National Player of the Week and selected to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week, according to a Feb. 4 YU Athletics post.
Chaim Stark (YC ‘28), a MacsLive announcer during Samet’s 52-point game, described the moment as memorable.
“This is my first year at YU and first time watching Zevi Samet play live,” Stark told The Commentator. “He’s the kind of player that immediately grabs your eye on the court. Being able to be in the building when he made history was so special.”
“The fact I was able to announce the game for all our fans and share that moment with them adds to the greatness of the moment, and I definitely won’t forget it,” Stark said.
Samet spoke of “unselfish” basketball in explaining the team’s recent success, but also “believe[s] a big part of this stems from all the stuff we do beyond the court,” such as teamwide Shacharit prayers, Shabbatons, Torah study, trips and more.
“All this has helped us build chemistry and trust within one another,” he said.
“To continue,” he said, the Macs must “step it up on the defensive end and make sure we have 100% effort on defense each and every game.”
Alberto Emmanuel Aguilar-Spinoza (YC ‘29), a MacsLive cameraman at the Jan. 17 game, described the atmosphere as electric.
“The game was super hype,” Aguilar-Spinoza told The Commentator. “It was filled with energy and passion, and from my end, it was amazing to watch.”
“Every time Zevi got the ball and made a point leading to his career total, it was so fun hearing the basketball team get hype, the whole crowd got hyped,” he said. “It was a super dope game.”
The Macs concluded their regular season campaign on Feb. 18 with a 73-60 win at Mount Saint Mary College. They will begin their Skyline Conference Championship playoff run in a quarterfinal game on Feb. 24. Last season, the Macs won the conference championships.
Photo Caption: Yeshiva University Maccabees’ Zevi Samet
Photo Credit: JJ Grayson / MacsLive
