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Brandon Sampson Commits to LSU, St. John’s Left Reeling

By Chris Godfrey

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Brandon Sampson was once the jewel of the St. John’s Red Storm 2015 recruiting class. However, his affinity for the school was always tied to his relationship with the Johnnies’ head coach, Steve Lavin. When Lavin parted ways with the university, Sampson decommitted moments after the announcement. Despite the best efforts of new head coach Chris Mullin and his talented staff of recruiters, Sampson chose not to recommit to St. John’s and their new regime. Instead, Sampson will stay home in Baton Rouge to play for the LSU Tigers, making him the latest addition to the best recruiting class in the history of their program.

Sampson was ultimately enticed by the opportunity to play with #1 overall prospect Ben Simmons and consensus All-American guard Antonio Blakeney, the two prospects that made up LSU’s recruiting class until today. LSU also returns a good amount of talent from a team that went to the NCAA Tournament this past season.

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In theory, St. John’s offered Sampson more, but it wasn’t enough to sway Sampson on such short notice. Mullin was hopeful that he would be able to plug Sampson into his backcourt next to Rysheed Jordan, making him an immediate contributor, and important piece of the starting lineup. Sampson will be LSU’s third or fourth guard next season, but he will surely benefit as a player from clashing with the likes of Blakeney and the returning Tim Quarterman in practice.

LSU may not be done adding to their now three-man class. Malik Newman, the nation’s best scorer is also considering LSU, and he may be intrigued by the current stockpile of talent that head coach Johnny Jones has accumulated on the Bayou. Some would say that Sampson’s commitment would deter Newman, but the reality is that Sampson would not be a starter with or without Newman on the roster. Newman will be a starter for LSU with or without Sampson on the roster (I hope that makes sense). Sampson is being recruited for the next four years. Newman is being recruited to make a run at next year’s SEC Championship. 

The St. John’s coaching staff started working towards other options even before Sampson announced his commitment this morning.

The current roster is short on talent and the well is running dry in terms of potential options. Failing to secure Sampson greatly impairs the Red Storm’s chances to land McDonald’s All-American Cheick Diallo, which means a lost season could be in the works for year one of Mullin’s tenure.

St. John’s is the frontrunner for Chicago point guard Marcus Lovett, but some close to his recruitment do not expect Lovett to qualify. Non-qualifiers were a huge issue while Lavin was in charge, and bringing in another Lavin-type recruit could rub some supporters the wrong way. If Lovett can get on the court he could be a backcourt mate for Jordan, but beyond him, options are scarce. Beyond Lovett, the junior college ranks may be the next course of action for the Johnnies. They have positioned themselves well for the distant future, but their work has failed to produce immediate dividends thus far.

Meanwhile, on the bayou, LSU is gearing up for one of their most exciting seasons since Glen “Big Baby” Davis was grunting and slobbering in the paint for the Tigers. Simmons is the best recruit to land in Baton Rouge since Shaquille O’Neal, and now with the addition of Sampson, his supporting cast just got stronger.

The Kentucky Wildcats are never out of the mix, but at this moment, LSU is the team to beat in the SEC.

Next: Where are the Top Unsigned Prospects Going? (Part 2)

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