2021 Recruiting: Samson Johnson Update

[444JR]

 

[superjohn]

That's a really quick first step for a 6'10 kid with a 7'6 wingspan.

 

[bendm]

not to derail this, but given that this was essentially guaranteed to be bouk's last year why didnt hurley recruit a 4th freshman? he couldnt have known the 1x transfer waiver rule would pass (it still hasnt) so was he counting on a grad transfer or a redshirt transfer? luckily the transfer rule is expected to pass which opens up a lot more possibilities but i'm curious as to his initial thinking...

 

[SportsFan88]

I love the fact that all of these kids are coming from winning high school programs with excellent coaching

 

[UKemba15]

not to derail this, but given that this was essentially guaranteed to be bouk's last year why didnt hurley recruit a 4th freshman? he couldnt have known the 1x transfer waiver rule would pass (it still hasnt) so was he counting on a grad transfer or a redshirt transfer? luckily the transfer rule is expected to pass which opens up a lot more possibilities but i'm curious as to his initial thinking...

Javonte transferred.

 

[bendm]

Javonte transferred.

totally irrelevant...hurley knew bouk was gone heading into this season and his spot has yet to be filled so i was asking if hurley had planned on a grad transfer or redshirt transfer all along. i understand being caught off guard by javonte leaving and having to rely on a transfer of some sort to replace him but i was asking specifically about bouk's scholly which could have been filled by a 4th freshman

 

[navery12]

not to derail this, but given that this was essentially guaranteed to be bouk's last year why didnt hurley recruit a 4th freshman? he couldnt have known the 1x transfer waiver rule would pass (it still hasnt) so was he counting on a grad transfer or a redshirt transfer? luckily the transfer rule is expected to pass which opens up a lot more possibilities but i'm curious as to his initial thinking...

Not sure I agree, we've been talking about the free transfer on here since last March or April basically and while it hasn't officially passed everyone talks as if it's a given. All 3 of our commits were end of July/early August so to me it seems like he went through the recruiting cycle with a plan based around a free transfer and assume he has some more insight than what is publicly available on it

I may be misremembering but I feel like we had a discussion over the summer before all these commits where you and I agreed we wanted that 4th/Bouk scholarship to be saved for the spring for a transfer

 

[SportsFan88]

Jordan is gonna come in and already be one of our best shooters. Barring injury I see no reason why he won’t be 2 and out like Bouk, he is the prototypical 2 guard especially when he tightens his handle up

 

[Mooch82]

not to derail this, but given that this was essentially guaranteed to be bouk's last year why didnt hurley recruit a 4th freshman? he couldnt have known the 1x transfer waiver rule would pass (it still hasnt) so was he counting on a grad transfer or a redshirt transfer? luckily the transfer rule is expected to pass which opens up a lot more possibilities but i'm curious as to his initial thinking...

I don't know if he could have accepted a scholarship from another player if he didn't technically have one to give, even though we all knew James was most likely gone. Regardless, I like his strategy of filling the 3 spots he knew he had and then playing it by ear in the spring. Now with grad transfers and transfer waivers, it makes more sense to just fill in a slot or two in the spring after you watch your team play over the winter and you know what your holes are. Almost like the trade deadline in the NBA...fill that last spot or two with what you really need and who you know can make an instant impact.

 

[tennmike]

That's a really quick first step for a 6'10 kid with a 7'6 wingspan.

Also has a real good looking stroke. I bit more physical maturity and he's going to be dangerous.

 

[donyell34]

Every video I've seen of Samson I'm more impressed. Johnson, Hawkins and Diggins are really going to be good for us. Have high expectations for these guys but first take care of business this year, beating Seton Hall would be huge.

 

[superjohn]

totally irrelevant...hurley knew bouk was gone heading into this season and his spot has yet to be filled so i was asking if hurley had planned on a grad transfer or redshirt transfer all along. i understand being caught off guard by javonte leaving and having to rely on a transfer of some sort to replace him but i was asking specifically about bouk's scholly which could have been filled by a 4th freshman

He isn't caught off guard by anything. One scholarship left over after he got his main point guard, shooting guard, and big man target early.

 

[bendm]

I may be misremembering but I feel like we had a discussion over the summer before all these commits where you and I agreed we wanted that 4th/Bouk scholarship to be saved for the spring for a transfer

i cant remember either. i might have said grad transfer idk. but if you think he was counting on the transfer rule passing then that answers my question, speculation or not.

I don't know if he could have accepted a scholarship from another player if he didn't technically have one to give, even though we all knew James was most likely gone.

he's gonna have to start accepting schollys if the plan is to send 1 or 2 guys to the league every year. that's what UK and Duke have to do. otherwise half the team will eventually be comprised of transfers

 

[Nebraskan18]

I couldn't love Samson Johnson's potential more

 

[bendm]

He isn't caught off guard by anything. One scholarship left over after he got his main point guard, shooting guard, and big man target early.

what? he admitted he was caught off guard by javonte leaving but i'm not blaming him for that. i was talking about replacing bouk. he's known for a year bouk was leaving so i was wondering if the plan to replace him was always with a transfer, and if that means he knew the rule was going to pass. i didnt say he was caught off guard by that. we still have 2 schollys left over

 

[superjohn]

what? he admitted he was caught off guard by javonte leaving but i'm not blaming him for that. i was talking about replacing bouk. he's known for a year bouk was leaving so i was wondering if the plan to replace him was always with a transfer. i didnt say he was caught off guard by that. we still have 2 schollys left over

I'm talking about his plan, it went perfectly how he wanted it to. Nobody knew Javonte would transfer due to playing time and he was a long term project anyways, wouldn't be relied upon next year. You're posting asking about Bouk's scholarship, we all know he was waiting to fill that after he got his top three targets early.

 

[bendm]

you're posting asking about Bouk's scholarship, we all know he was waiting to fill that after he got his top three targets early

yes but i was specifically asking if that meant he was keen on a grad transfer or redshirt transfer all along and if not whether the expected transfer rule passage is simply serendipitous

 

[87Xfer]

somebody help me out here. before Javonte transferred, and with Bouk technically having a scholarship for next season, did Hurley have a 4th scholly to offer? How does that actually work? can you offer up a "non-existent" scholarship under the assumption Bouk will go pro?

 

[coloradohusky]

Jordan Hawkins looks like he had Bouk type skill. He's going to be a good one

 

[bendm]

somebody help me out here. before Javonte transferred, and with Bouk technically having a scholarship for next season, did Hurley have a 4th scholly to offer? How does that actually work? can you offer up a "non-existent" scholarship under the assumption Bouk will go pro?

schollys only exist one year at a time. hurley could offer all 13 schollys to different players every year if he wanted. something penny might do at memphis one day.

 

[87Xfer]

schollys only exist one year at a time. hurley could offer all 13 schollys to different players every year if he wanted. something penny might do at memphis one day.

thanks, i didn't think about that.

 

[uconnblueinky]

yes but i was specifically asking if that meant he was keen on a grad transfer or redshirt transfer all along and if not whether the expected transfer rule passage is simply serendipitous

Isn't this a question you'd have to ask coach Hurley ? I'm not trying to be a jerk , I just don't know how huskyfanbob or whatsanokafor? are going to be able to answer the question what was on Hurley's mind when he made this decision?

 

[navery12]

somebody help me out here. before Javonte transferred, and with Bouk technically having a scholarship for next season, did Hurley have a 4th scholly to offer? How does that actually work? can you offer up a "non-existent" scholarship under the assumption Bouk will go pro?

You can offer as many as you want, at one point in the summer LSU had something like 16 kids committed for the upcoming season before a few kids transferred or declared for the NBA draft. Doubt Hurley ever gets to that point but I think getting to 14 if we want 1-2 kids being drafted is a realistic end goal

 

[bendm]

Isn't this a question you'd have to ask coach Hurley ?

i was hoping someone here might have

 

[ConnEd]

what? he admitted he was caught off guard by javonte leaving but i'm not blaming him for that. i was talking about replacing bouk. he's known for a year bouk was leaving so i was wondering if the plan to replace him was always with a transfer, and if that means he knew the rule was going to pass. i didnt say he was caught off guard by that. we still have 2 schollys left over

In terms of replacing Bouk's spot on the floor, Hawkins is clearly the replacement. Martin can also play the two some as can Jackson, but both of them are better as college 3's IMO.

In terms of how to use the scholarship, I think we'll know more once we know whether or not Adams or any of the seniors are coming back or not. Whatever happens, the team will be very young next year. So, adding transfers or grad transfers with some experience to fill out the roster isn't a bad thing. With the first 7/8 likely set for next year - Cole, Gaffney/Diggins, Hawkins, Martin, Jackson, Akok, Sanogo - it was always going to be tough to bring in another highly rated player this year. That's before knowing if any of the seniors is returning. I'd try to find a 2/3 that can shoot and then maybe a big that can defend and rebound as experienced (grad) transfers to fill it out. That also would let Hurley go after 2-3 highly rated guys in the '22-'23 recruiting class.