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Brandon Sampson bolsters already solid LSU recruiting class
For a team that lost its two best players to the NBA draft earlier this month, LSU still has a chance to be awfully good next season.
The Tigers are bringing in a recruiting class more than capable of offsetting the departure of all-conference forwards Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey.
LSU landed another impact player Monday when Rivals.com's No. 41 prospect Brandon Sampson chose the Tigers over St. John's and Oklahoma State. The Baton Rouge native joins a recruiting class that already includes No. 1 overall prospect Ben Simmons, five-star scoring guard Antonio Blakeney and Arizona transfer Craig Victor.
A slender but sweet-shooting 6-foot-4 wing who excels in transition and can also finish at the rim, Sampson initially chose St. John's but reopened his recruitment when the Johnnies and fifth-year coach Steve Lavin parted ways earlier this spring. He considered St. John's anew after Chris Mullin was hired but opted instead to stay at home and join his talented classmates at LSU.
Sampson joins a well-stocked backcourt that also features Blakeney and returning starters Tim Quarterman, Keith Hornsby and Josh Gray. LSU is also in pursuit of highly touted wing Malik Newman, though the Tigers would have to outduel Mississippi State and Kentucky to get him and Sampson's commitment may make that an even greater long shot anyway.
LSU's frontcourt will be unproven without Martin and Mickey, but the 6-foot-9 Simmons figures to emerge as the focal point. Victor was a former top 100 recruit who played sparingly at Arizona before leaving midway through his freshman season and returners Aaron Epps and Elbert Robinson should provide some depth behind the newcomers. LSU is also recruiting 6-foot-9 former Oregon signee Ray Kasongo, who spent the year in junior college after he didn't qualify academically to play for the Ducks.
The one concern with LSU is the program's history of often not getting the most out of the talent on its roster.
Last season, Johnny Jones' team suffered some head-scratching regular season losses to some of the SEC's worst teams and then blew a huge lead against NC State in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Next season's Tigers have the potential to accomplish more if they can live up to it.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
