Hall of Fame
Following successful stints at NJCAA powerhouse Vincennes University and Carl Sandburg College, Donald Sampley came to Missouri Baptist in 1993 and was an instant impact player. In two seasons with the Spartans, Sampley proved to be an invaluable student-athlete for head coach
Lowell Pitzer starting all 68 games and leading the team in minutes played. Donald played an integral role on the '93-'94 team that won the AMC Regular-Season Championship, AMC Tournament Championship and earned an automatic berth to the NAIA National Tournament. That team was just the fourth to reach 25 wins in a season, which still holds true today. The point guard was runner-up in votes for AMC Newcomer of the Year in 1994 and was a two-time AMC All-Conference selection. Sampley finished his two-year career at Missouri Baptist as the all-time leader in assists (currently ranks third) and top-15 in scoring with 885 points. In addition to the career record, Sampley dished out enough assists to hold the single-game and single-season records for assists as well.
Donald graduated from Missouri Baptist in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Health Science. After graduation, Sampley spent 15 years in the St. Louis area working in the basketball profession as a high school coach and private instructor. He then branched out and became an entrepreneur. In 2005, he launched Axiom Blue Energy Drink, a beverage company based in St. Louis. With his passion for basketball, he began researching professional basketball in Europe in 2010 and was awarded an expansion franchise from the British Basketball League in 2012 out of Edinburgh, Scotland. He oversaw the East Scotland Warriors professional basketball club as founder and president up until 2016. He is now pursuing a new venture with former MBU teammate Mike Bystrom.
Donald and his wife Kaleena are involved in various animal rescue charities and currently reside in Glasgow, Scotland.
