INDIANAPOLIS — New St. John’s coach Chris Mullin and assistant Matt Abdelmassih will visit Brandon Sampson on Thursday in Louisiana, his head coach confirmed to SNY.tv.
The NCAA dead period ends at noon on Thursday.
“It says that they are doing their job,” Baton Rouge (LA) Madison Prep coach Jeff Jones told SNY.tv. “Brandon was one of [three St. John’s] commits so you have to try to keep that class and significantly add to it.”
The New York Post first reported the visit on Twitter.
The 6-foot-4 Sampson out of Baton Rouge (LA) Madison Prep initially committed to former St. John’s coach Steve Lavin but reopened his commitment after Lavin’s departure.
“It was a couple thoughts because I wasn’t gonna thrust St. John’s completely out of the situation just because of the coach,” Sampson told NOLA.com. “I was still gonna evaluate the staff, and with Chris Mullin coming in, an NBA player with all that under his belt, just being on the Olympic team as you said and coming in being an (alumnus) of St. John’s, it couldn’t be a bad thing at all going in under him.
“He knows what it takes. He’s been there. He’s played in it. So it wouldn’t be a bad thing at all going in under him.”
Sampson also plans to visit Mississippi State and Tulane next week before an official visit to SMU next weekend, NOLA.com reported.
LSU, Mississippi State, UCLA, USC, Oklahoma State and VCU have also reached out.
“I’m just trying to evaluate everything, all of my options,” he told the site. “I don’t want to wait too late, but I just don’t wanna jump into it too early.”
Meantime, the St. John’s staff will likely be in New Orleans and Dallas for the first AAU weekend beginning April 10 and will then begin home visits April 17, a source told SNY.tv.
ST. JOHN’S OFFERS JORDAN TUCKER, HAMADOU DIALLO
St. John’s also offered Jordan Tucker, a 2017 small forward from White Plains (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac.
“They would love to get involved and offered [Tucker],” New York Lightning coach Dana Dingle told SNY.tv.
Ranked No. 24 in the Class of 2017 by 247Sports.com, the 6-7 Tucker already held offers from UConn, Arizona and Syracuse, among others.
St. John’s assistant Matt Abdelmassih also offered Hamadou Diallo, a 6-4 2017 shooting guard from Putnam (CT) Science Academy who also held offers from UConn, Providence and Minnesota, his coach Jay David told SNY.tv.
Tucker was on our list of players Mullin should reach out to as soon as he got the job. Mullin also offered 2015 Christ the King guard Rawle Alkins and 2018 Roselle (N.J.) Catholic big man Naz Reid from that list.
Meantime, Mullin also reached out to St. Raymond’s coach Jorge Lopez about his players, including 2017s Sid Wilson and Isaiah Washington.
“He said he’s excited about recruiting our players,” Lopez said. “He said he is making a push to keep the New York City talent at home.”
All in all, it’s been a busy few days for Mullin and Abdelmassih.
“Well the last 72 hrs have been a blur,” Abdelmassih Tweeted. “A lot accomplished in a short time. Couldn’t be more excited about the future #newyorksteam #STJBB”
