Three Sign NLOI With UConn MBB

Recruiting Class Ranked No. 8

STORRS, Conn. – The UConn men’s basketball program has received signed National Letters of Intent from guards Rahsool Diggins and Jordan Hawkins and forward Samson Johnson.

The trio, all of whom will be eligible starting with the 2021-22 season, is currently ranked the No. 8 recruiting class in the country, second behind Villanova in the BIG EAST Conference. The ranking continues the impressive recruiting momentum since the arrival of UConn Coach Dan Hurley, with three consecutive Top 20 classes, the highest three-year stretch at UConn since the classes of 2008-10.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rahsool, Jordan and Samson to the UConn family,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said. “Each of these young men has the type of talent, character, work ethic and winning pedigree that will help us continue to build a championship program.”

Diggins, a 6-3 guard from Philadelphia, is a consensus Top 50 player who can play either guard position. He is a senior at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster, Pa., where he was named the 2020 Catholic League Player of the Year after averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game last season. He also competes for Team Final on the Nike EYBL AAU circuit.

“Rahsool is a proven winner who has established himself as one of the best guards in the country both at Archbishop Wood under coach John Mosco and with Team Final under Rob Brown,” Hurley said. “He is a very talented guard who can score at all three levels and is an unselfish passer with great leadership skills. Rahsool is the type of player we need at UConn as we pursue championships.”

Hawkins is a 6-5 shooting guard from Gaithersburg, Md., who attends basketball powerhouse DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, Md.), transferring there last year after spending his first two years at Gaithersburg High. The No. 49-ranked player in the country, he averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 rebounds last season, and shot 46.0 percent from three-point range, helping DeMatha to a 30-3 record, the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship and to the No. 2 ranking in the country. The previous season, as a sophomore at Gaithersburg High, he averaged 20.2 points per game. He also played for Team Durant on Nike EYBL.

“Jordan is the prototypical UConn wing – the kind of player that UConn has had so much success with in the past,” Hurley said. “He’s extremely athletic with long range shooting ability and his versatility and ability to stretch the floor should excite UConn Nation. Jordan has a great

pedigree, playing at DeMatha under Mike Jones and for Team Durant under Osman Bangura, which should translate to success at the next level.”

Johnson is a 6-10 forward, originally from Lome, Togo, on the west coast of Africa, who currently attends The Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.), which also produced current UConn freshman Adama Sanogo. With a wingspan of 7-foot-6 and ranked among the Top 100, Johnson projects unlimited potential. He averaged 8.9 points and 3.2 rebounds last season for Patrick, shooting 67.0 percent overall and 37.0 percent from three-point range. He also played for the NY Jayhawks on the AAU circuit.

Johnson was named co-MVP of the recent Slam 16 All-Star Game in the Bronx after his 12-point, 8-rebound, 6-block performance. He teamed there with future UConn teammate Diggins, who contributed 15 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds.

“Samson is a very exciting player with a tremendous upside,” Hurley said. “He is a perfect fit for the type of player we were looking for in this class. He’s long, athletic and can really shoot. Along with his obvious talent, he’s had an amazing journey, starting at Seeds Academy in Senegal to being coached at a high level by Chris Chavannes at The Patrick School and gaining valuable experience playing for Jay David with the Jayhawks. Samson figures to be an exciting addition to our program that has championship aspirations.”

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