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Samuels played college basketball at Fordham, As a freshman in 1980-81 he played forward for Tommy Penders and appeared in 28 games for a Rams team that went 19-9, averaging 19.1 minutes, 4.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 47.8 percent at the line, finishing with 132 points, 92 rebounds, 20 assists, 8 steals, 7 blocks and 38 turnovers as Fordham reached the NIT.

As a sophomore in 1981-82 he played 23 games for an 18-11 Fordham team that finished 8-2 in MAAC play and returned to the NIT, averaging 15.9 minutes, 4.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.1 blocks while shooting 48.8 percent from the field and 57.7 percent at the foul line, and he totaled 93 points, 71 rebounds, 16 assists, 12 steals, 3 blocks and 18 turnovers.

He did not appear in a game during the 1982-83 season as Fordham went 19-11, finished 7-3 in the MAAC, won the conference tournament championship game 54-53 over Iona, and advanced to the NIT.

Samuels returned in 1983-84 and delivered his best all-around college season, playing 34 games for a Fordham team that went 19-15 overall and 7-7 in MAAC play under Penders, averaging 14.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 67.5 percent at the line, and producing 497 points, 268 rebounds, 42 assists, 42 steals, 20 blocks and 81 turnovers as the Rams reached the NIT after finishing as MAAC tournament runner-up.

His 206 made field goals in 1983-84 remain one of Fordham’s top single-season marks, and he scored a career-high 39 points in a 96-91 win over LIU on February 13, 1984 before adding 31 points and 10 rebounds in a 63-57 win over Holy Cross later that month.

That junior season also brought major recognition as he earned All-MAAC honours, made the All-MAAC Tournament team, and was selected to the All-Met second team alongside teammate Tony McIntosh.

As a senior in 1984-85 he played 31 games with 28 starts and averaged 34.2 minutes, 14.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.6 blocks while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 62.1 percent at the line, ending the year with 460 points, 202 rebounds, 37 assists, 32 steals, 19 blocks and 62 turnovers for a Fordham team that finished 19-12 overall and 9-5 in the MAAC, placed second in the conference standings, and reached the MAAC tournament title game before falling 57-54 to Iona.

He was again named All-MAAC and again made the All-MAAC Tournament team in 1984-85, and in the MAAC semifinals against Saint Peter’s he scored 16 points on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting night as Fordham advanced to the championship game.

Across his four playing seasons at Fordham, Samuels appeared in 116 games and scored 1,182 points with 633 rebounds and 115 assists, averaging 10.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 61.8 percent at the free-throw line.

He finished his Fordham career among the program’s long-term leaders in both scoring and rebounding, and his college run was built around two strong upperclass seasons after Fordham posted five straight winning records during his time on campus.