Defensive-minded interior center whose greatest value came from protecting the basket and controlling the paint. Sam’s combination of size, length, timing, and mobility made him an intimidating presence around the rim. His defensive impact extends well beyond the box score. He changed the driving and gaps of the floor simply by being stationed near the basket, forcing opponents to reconsider each lane before attacking, alter finishing angles, and settle for tougher shots.

A recent San Diego State commit, Sam joins one of the nation’s premier high school programs at Southeastern Prep in Orlando for his senior season. He is a mobile, athletic big man who runs the floor extremely well, finishes above the rim and is a constant threat as a rim runner in transition. Defensively, Sam uses his size, length and athleticism to protect the paint and alter shots around the basket. His offensive skill set and instincts continue to develop, giving him considerable long term upside. With his physical tools and continued improvement, Sam is a prospect whose best basketball is still ahead of him.

Sam is the biggest player I saw on Friday. He is listed as a seven-footer and plays like he wants to be big. He posts up incredibly hard and tries to get every single board. He is strong and moves the opposing players out of his way. He knows how to use his body and feel defenders out in the post. He has a great soft touch around the rim. He had multiple putbacks and floaters. It is an impressive skill to have that most other bigs do not have. Moves well and will only continue to get stronger and add size.

In terms of defensive impact, Sam was arguably the best most dominant prospect in the gym across all age divisions at the Chi-Town Tip Off. The 6’10” center is a big time shot blocker and rebounded well throughout the weekend. His best basketball is still long ahead of him.

Precious has a ton of upside as a prospect, and showcased flashes of that potential throughout the weekend for Mac Irvin Fire . With his long wingspan and quickness off the floor, he was looking to dunk pretty much everything around the basket, leaving the rim shaking on multiple occasions. When he sets his mind to it, there wasn’t really anyone who could stop him from getting to the rim, as he has good strength at his size, and wasn’t afraid to bully smaller defenders in the paint. Defensively he has the mobility to slide his feet out on the perimeter when needed, and can recover to make plays around the rim as a shot blocker.