St. John’s Red Storm: Lavin Lands Louisiana Guard Brandon Sampson
The St. John’s Red Storm may be still searching for their first Big East win (0-3), but head coach Steve Lavin and his Johnnies have finally netted their first big win of the recruiting season. Brandon Sampson, ESPN’s #32 prospect, has committed to playing his college ball for the Lavin’s Red Storm.
Sampson, who is currently starring at Madison Prep in Baton Rouge, chose the Johnnies over West Coast programs USC and Cal. A pessimistic view of the signing would conclude that Sampson ended up with the Johnnies by default. LSU was reported to be Lavin’s primary competition for Sampson’s signature. However, the Tigers altered their stance on Sampson after signing ESPN’s #2 shooting guard Antonio Blakeney. With the Tigers seemingly out of the picture, it didn’t take long for Sampson to land in New York.
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Regardless of how the commitment was obtained, this is a crucial victory for the Red Storm. Much ado has been made about the six seniors that will be leaving the program at season’s end. The most notable loss will be the team’s leading scorer and conference player of the year candidate, D’Angelo Harrison. However, veteran cogs such as Sir’Dominic Pointer, Jamal Branch, and Phil Greene IV will also see their time as Johnnies come to an end.
Also complicating matters is a brewing sentiment that underclassmen Rysheed Jordan and Chris Obekpa could skip out on a possible rebuilding season and enter the NBA Draft, further depleting what is already guaranteed to be a young roster next year.
Sampson joins a recruiting haul that, until today, only included Philadelphia guard Samir Doughty. However, the class could potentially turn into one of the nation’s best if Lavin can sell Sampson as a centerpiece, much like he did with Harrison while piecing together his impressive first class.
Sampson will play the same role that Harrison played in the 2011 class that was ranked high as third nationally by some pundits. He contributes the size and ability to play both guard spots, but more importantly, the shooting range that Harrison currently uses to keep opposing defenses in constant flux.
The marquee big man in that 2011 class was Norvel Pelle, a talented prospect who never qualified academically, but has still flirted with the NBA due to his noticeable potential. This year, Lavin is in hot pursuit of Cheick Diallo, a 6’9 local who doesn’t carry any of the risks that were associated with Pelle. Diallo is a consensus top-10 prospect, and a likely McDonald’s All-American. His presence in New York provides a multitude of interesting possibilities for next year’s team.
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Pairing Sampson with a returning Jordan in the backcourt and pairing Diallo in the frontcourt with a returning Obekpa gives the Red Storm a solid nucleus of talent that can compete for a tournament bid next year.
Even with a commitment from Diallo, one spot still remains open in that idyllic 2015-2016 starting lineup. Lavin hopes to fill it with a commitment from Tyler Dorsey, another combo guard who is acknowledged as one of ESPN’s top 100 prospects. Dorsey is from Los Angeles, a place that Lavin knows very well from his time at UCLA, but getting a commitment from Dorsey still seems like a long shot at the moment. It’s likely that Diallo is the Red Storm’s last chance to land a truly high-impact contributor.
Last year, St. John’s whiffed on All-American Brooklyn product Isaiah Whitehead (currently injured, but starring for Seton Hall). During this season’s early signing period, the Red Storm saw New Jersey based All-American Isaiah Briscoe spurn them for Kentucky during a nationally televised announcement.
Missing out on elite prospects has been a reoccurring theme during the Lavin-era in Queens, but losing Diallo and Dorsey could be the most crippling recruiting failure yet. Fortunately for the Red Storm, Sampson’s commit has the program leaning in the right direction.