Cats land future leader
On Saturday, Villanova added their second commitment for the class of 2017 in 4-star prospect Jermaine Samuels. The 6-6 Samuels is currently ranked 49th nationally by Rivals.
The decision comes just days after Samuels took an official visit to the Main Line. He had also recently trimmed his list of schools to five, including Duke, Indiana, Kansas, and Georgetown. It was expected that Samuels would take a few more visits before deciding, particularly to Duke, who had jumped into the mix late. Obviously Samuels liked what he saw during his visit, quickly making his decision. He tweeted “There’s no point in waiting when you know where you want to be.” Clearly coach Wright and staff made a good impression.
Samuels is adept at attacking off the dribble and finishing at the rim. He has the ups to finish with authority. He has a decent stroke, particularly in the mid-range, but has shown an ability to step out beyond the arc as well. Samuels has a well-developed pull-up jumper. He has shown a good understanding of the offense he is operating in, as well as a knack for finding open space. He has demonstrated solid rebounding ability as well as being a willing passer. He has also shown a commitment to playing on the defensive end. His AAU coaches have referred to him as “one of the best kids we have ever had in our program.”
We reached out to Rivals National Basketball Recruiting Analyst Eric Bossi for his thoughts on how Villanova was able to secure his commitment as well as his thoughts on Samuels as a player. In terms of his recruitment, Bossi said “I think with Samuels, this was a case where all along he felt he was a priority for Villanova. Also, I think they could point to a guy like Josh Hart who is very similar to Jermaine and say ‘look how successful he has been’ and legitimately use Hart as an example of how he would fit in.” Bossi’s assessment of Samuels as a player: “Samuels is a good athlete, plays hard, loves to attack from the three-point line in and is a good defensive player. However, what his biggest strength is can’t really be measured. He’s one of those guys that teammates look to for leadership and he’s somebody that I’ve always felt will end up the heart and soul of whatever program he lands with. Villanova got a very good one in Samuels.”
All indications are Villanova has landed not only a talented basketball player, but a very high-character kid as well. He should be able to fit in well with what Villanova does on both ends of the floor. The more video I watch and the more I read about Samuels, the more I like him. ‘Nova Nation should be very excited about its most recent addition.