CHARLOTTE, N.C.- Men's basketball Head Coach Wes Long and his staff continued to strengthen an already talented recruiting class by inking Winston Salem State transfer Sam Johnson, an Asheville native, to a scholarship offer early this week. Johnson played his high school ball at Asheville Christian Academy, where he led the Lions to the 2009 NCISAA 2A state championship, after signing with WSSU in November 2008.
“I'm extremely excited to have the opportunity to coach Sam,” said Long. “Like our other recruits, Sam fits what Queens University of Charlotte is about in every aspect. He'll have the chance to have a major impact on the court, and I know he'll have just as big an influence across our campus community.”
Johnson left Asheville Christian as a highly-touted prospect, having been recruited by a host of mid to high-major Division I programs and collecting an array of honors and awards. Scouts Inc. rated Johnson as the #60 center prospect in the nation in the 2009 class. During the past season, Johnson appeared in 22 games for the WSSU Rams. Coach Long will look for Johnson (6'9” / 220 lbs) to give the Royals a formidable defensive post presence over the next three seasons.
“Like I've mentioned before, we examine a number of aspects when considering a prospective student-athlete's place in our program, and the question I ask is not 'does he fit?', but rather 'does he fit and will he make Queens a better place?' My familiarity with Sam and his family made those answers clear very quickly.”
Sam Johnson joins David Mason (Decatur, Ga.) and Brent Evans (Beaufort, S.C.), who both signed on the first day of the spring signing period, as members of a talented 2010 recruiting class for the Royals.
More on Sam Johnson:
Nickname: “Scrambles”
Height/Weight: 6'9 /220
Hometown: Asheville, NC
High School (Coach): Asheville Christian Academy (Andy Ray)
AAU Team (Coach): Carolina Raptors (Mike Woods)
Parents: Abe & Tonya Johnson
Johnson's HS Career Stats: 10.6 ppg / 6.5 rpg / 1.8 bpg
• Led ACA to a 26-5 record and 2009 NCISAA State Championship
• 2006-07 – Led ACA to CAA Conference Championship
Johnson's HS Honors:
• 2009 NCISAA 2A State Champions
• 2008-09 Asheville Citizen Times “Best of Western North Carolina”
• 2008-09 CAA Academic Excellence Award
• 2007-08 CAA Honorable Mention All-Conference
• 2007-08 3-time Black Mountain News “Player of the Week”
• 2006-07 CAA All-Conference
• 2006-07 CAA Academic Excellence Award
Asheville Christian Coach Andy Ray on Sam Johnson:
"Sam Johnson is one of the best kids and most well-rounded young men I have ever been around. Sam is a coach's dream, because he doesn't have a selfish bone in his body - and he is going to do exactly what you ask him to.”
"Sam's is one of those kids where the stats don't tell the whole story, because he is willing to do all of the little things that don't show up on the stat sheet. His impact on the defensive end was critical to our success while he played here, and he always put the best interest of our team first.”
Queens Coach Wes Long on Johnson:
“We needed to get bigger and more athletic, and Sam Johnson addresses both of those needs. He can run and he has above average bounce for his size. When you combine those traits with his length, I think it gives him a chance to be a big contributor on both ends of the floor.”
“One thing that I've always liked about Sam is that he's not concerned with being the focal point. He is one of those players who is a great teammate because of his commitment to doing what is asked of him. You need a lot more soldiers than you do generals, and Sam's not afraid to mix it up and do the thankless dirty work that winning requires.”
What others are saying about Sam Johnson:
“Johnson is a post with tremendous upside. He is very mobile and runs the floor extremely well. He is athletic and plays hard on a consistent basis. Johnson has good hands and can score inside with a variety of post moves and can also face up and knock down the 10-12 foot jumper off the catch. He is a good defensive rebounder and uses his body well to get rebounds out of his area.”
–ESPN Insider.com
