Sampson commits to St. Johns
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The top available players in 2015 continue to come off the board. Four-star shooting guard Brandon Sampson has made his commitment.
A 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Baton Rouge (La.) Madison Prep who ranks No. 40 in the class of 2015, Sampson has committed to St. John's. The news was confirmed by his high school coach Jeff Jones.
"He was just getting tired of the whole process," Jones said. "I didn't even see it coming. He came to me and said, 'Coach I want to commit.' I didn't know where he wanted to commit. So he does that and says he wants to go to St. John's. I asked him why and he said he will have a real chance to play a lot as a freshman."
A smooth shooting guard who can score from deep and via the dribble, the opportunity to play early had always been a big factor in Sampson's decision process.
"He was real consistent in that," said Jones. "He's always wanted a chance to come in and make an impact and they have been on him so long. He really liked them and coach (Steve) Lavin and he wanted to take the pressure off of himself."
The Red Storm's top player D'Angelo Harrison will be gone after the season and Lavin and his staff feel Sampson could fill that opening.
"They have pitched him on coming in and being D'Angelo's replacement," said Jones. "That is something that he can see is pretty clear and transparent. It fits in line with what he wants to do.
"On his visit when he went up he liked Madison Square Garden and the opportunity to play there as well and I think it had a big impact."
While Sampson will be relied upon to help fill the scoring void left by Harrison, Jones says that he is ever improving. He's lead a balanced Madison Prep squad in scoring and to an 18-0 record and has plenty of room to grow upon his arrival in New York.
"This year he is doing a better job of playing the point and being a combo guard," said Jones. "He's a much better defender than he has been in the past. I think he needs to continue to get physically stronger for the college game but his work ethic has always been good and he's getting even stronger with that."
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