Samuels is getting the message
Samardo Samuels has always been a high priority for the elite level schools. But now the No. 6 overall player in the class of 2008 is really feeling the attention.
Three games into the season, the 6-foot-9, 240-pound big man from St. Benedict's High School in Newark, N.J. has watched the coaches watch him and his phone continues to ring more than an operator at a holiday telethon.
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Georgetown has been out to see him twice already. Maryland took a peek at his last game. The city area schools – Rutgers and St. John's – are certainly mainstays at St. Benedict's games. North Carolina, Louisville, Florida, Connecticut and "a lot of others. I know schools are looking at me pretty good."
They are doing more than looking these days. Recruitment for the five-star big man is at an all time high, he says.
"Oh yeah, I can really tell. There are more text messages, more calls, more coaches," Samuels said.
Samuels has been to North Carolina, Georgetown and Connecticut already, he said. The Jamaican native said he is paying close attention to the schools looking at him but he won't be a guy that makes a decision in the near future.
"I'll narrow it down sometime next year," Samuels said. "I think it all depends on seeing how a school does and seeing how well I fit into their system."
Outside of dealing with the constant information flow from recruiting, Samuels is off to a hot start on the hardwood. He said he is averaging 28 points a game for the always loaded St. Benedict's team and enjoying a new style that the team is employing.
"We are going to be pretty good so far. We have a nice team," Samuels said. "We're a little different than last year. It's more up and down this season but we'll still mix in some half court stuff.
"I think I'm doing pretty good and using this year as a stepping stone to getting better and better. I'm stronger and working on my footwork. I'm starting to see the fruits of all my labors."
All he has to do is see the coaches, the calls and the messages.