UConn stays hot with Rivals150 big man Samson Johnson
When you are hot you want to stay hot and Dan Hurley and his staff at UConn continued their recent heater on the recruiting trail.
For the third time in just a few weeks they've added a member of the 2021 Rivals150 as four-star big man Samson Johnson became the latest to call his recruitment in favor of the Huskies.
An athletic and mobile big man who runs with the NY Jayhawks in the summer, Johnson emerged during his junior season at the Patrick School in New Jersey and he's got loads of potential.
“I think in all of my years at St. Patrick’s and the Patrick School, his ceiling is as high as I have ever seen and I’ve been here for 30 years," Patrick School head coach Chris Chavannes told Rivals.com. "He’s a vacuum, he’s a sponge and it is all so new to him. His upside, it is huge. He works, he shoots and he picks things up a lot.
“Anytime somebody new came into our facility to see him play they say he has a pro window and that kind potential."
Playing as a junior on a team loaded with talents like Jonathan Kuminga and Adama Sanogo, Johnson's role was to run the floor, block shots, rebound and finish around the rim. Still he showed promise away from the rim and the belief in him as a guy who can play at the four was big for UConn.
“Honestly I thought all the schools did a wonderful job recruiting him," Jayhaws executive director Jay David said. "He felt comfortable with UCONN and their plan for him. His familiarity with Adama also helped in his decision! I’m proud of him and I believe he will continue work harder than anyone can Imagine.”
Ranked No. 108 in the class of 2021, Johnson joins a group that already includes guards Rahsool Diggins and Jordan Hawkins who both rank among the top 50 nationally. With the addition of Johnson, the group now ranks No. 4 nationally in the 2021 team rankings and has a big man just scratching the surface.
“I think it depends on how his game goes," said Chavannes of Johnson's potential at UConn. "His role will change significantly for us next year. He’ll go from a role player to one of the main guys. How well he adjusts to that we’ll see. He’s gained about 10 pounds of muscle mass, he is working out two or three times a day and there are some things he’s doing better. If you look at that, I think when Danny gets his hands on him between now and then I see him making big strides.”