Meet Samuel Murray II — one of the quickest-rising prospects in the class of 2022. The 6’8” versatile forward has been making a name for himself as of late while running with the New Orleans Elite (LA) AAU program and has recently picked up offers from the likes of Baylor and LSU.
This week, Pro Insight’s Jake Lieberman spent a few minutes going back-and-forth with Murray to get a better feel for where he’s at with his recruitment.
For the next installment of “Recruiting Roundup,” we present class of 2022 prospect Samuel Murray, from Gulfport, Mississippi:
Pro Insight: What's the current breakdown of your visits, offers, and interest?
Sam Murray II: Offers are Baylor, Mississippi State, Southern Miss, LSU, UNLV. I’ve received interest from Georgia Tech, Arizona State, TCU, University Missouri, Texas A&M, and Florida State.
PI: Which programs have you heard from the most lately?
SM: Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Missouri, Georgia Tech.
PI: What kind of role do you see yourself filling at the next level?
SM: I see myself at the next level as a playmaker, defender and scorer.
PI: Talk about when you got your first offer. How did it feel? What was going through your mind?
SM: I was very excited when I got the first offer. I felt like I deserved it because of the hard work I put in.
PI: Who was that first offer?
SM: The University of Southern Mississippi.
PI: When did they extend it?
SM: The end of my 10th grade year a little into the AAU season.
PI: What has been the most unique recruiting pitch thus far?
SM: Haven’t had anything too unique, yet.
PI: What's the funniest thing that's happened in a virtual visit on Zoom?
SM: Unfortunately, I haven’t had any Zooms, yet.
PI: Walk us through this past season for you and your high school team.
SM: We started the season off slow because of injuries. My role changed and as the season progressed we got healthy and some of our football players came back and we made a run to the semi-finals and lost to the eventual state champions.
PI: How would you describe your experience playing with New Orleans Elite for AAU?
SM: It’s very exciting, challenging and fun.
PI: Did you have any dream schools growing up?
SM: Duke, Kansas and Florida State.
PI: What made them your dream schools?
SM: For Duke, I grew up watching them with my dad who is a big time Duke fan; for Kansas, it was the style of play and the players they get; and for Florida State, the coaching and the style of play.
PI: If you could team up with any high school player in the country when you guys get to college, who would you pick?
SM: Chris Livingston.
PI: What are your three main priorities when narrowing down and eventually making a final decision with your recruitment?
SM: Good team culture, major availability, and player development.
PI: How's your timeline looking?
SM: I’m looking to commit in November.
PI: If you could sum up your recruitment process up to this point in three or four words, what would they be?
SM: Exciting, validating, appreciative.
