Samson Johnson
 Johnson in 2023 | |
| No. 35 – Noblesville Boom | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward / center |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 28, 2002 Lomé, Togo |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | The Patrick School (Hillside, New Jersey) |
| College | UConn (2021–2025) |
| NBA draft | 2025: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2025–present |
| Career history | |
| 2025–present | Noblesville Boom |
| Career highlights | |
| |
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| Women's Basketball Hall of Fame | |
Samson Roosevelt Faical Kuessi Johnson (born July 28, 2002) is a Togolese professional basketball player for the Noblesville Boom of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the UConn Huskies.
He was considered as the top incoming basketball recruit in UConn’s 2021 class.[1]
High school career
[edit | edit source]At The Patrick School, he played under coach Chris Chavannes who praised Johnson’s work ethic. He led his team to a 14–1 overall record. Johnson showed improvement as a junior as a role player on a team led by Adama Sanogo, who later completed an exceptional freshman season on the 2020–21 UConn Huskies men's basketball team. In October 2020, at a Slam16 all-star game at Gauchos Gym in The Bronx, Johnson wound up with 12 points, eight rebounds and six blocks to notch Co-Most Valuable Players honors for the game. He worked out with the Northeast Basketball Club, a program in northern New Jersey that often featured some of the state’s top committed prospects and current collegiate players.[1]
Recruiting
[edit | edit source]In November 2020, Johnson signed his national letter of intent to play for UConn Huskies men's basketball program.[2] A week after his recruitment, Johnson was rated as No. 39 in the nation (according to ESPN — ahead of both fellow UConn commits Rahsool Diggins and Jordan Hawkins, No.’s 56 and 57, respectively). Johnson moved up in the 247Sports recruiting site’s composite rankings, as well, from No. 76 back in November to No. 63.[1]
Player profile
[edit | edit source]Johnson’s former coach Chavannes reported, “you see a guy that can just dominate a game on both ends of the floor, in a matter of seconds. He can shoot the 3 in transition, follow-up dunks, clean up the boards, block shots. He can literally just dominate a game.”[1]
Jay David, Johnson’s coach at the youth basketball program NY Jayhawks AAU stated “..he can guard multiple positions.” Yet, in May 2021, David stressed that Johnson needed to add more strength to compete better in the very physical Big East Conference.[1]
Professional career
[edit | edit source]Noblesville Boom (2025–present)
[edit | edit source]On June 27, 2025, the Indiana Pacers signed Johnson to an Exhibit 10 contract.[3] On September 27, he was waived by the Pacers.[4] On October 27, the Noblesville Boom, the NBA G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers, announced Johnson would be part of the 2025-2026 training camp roster. [5] On November 5, the Boom announced Johnson would be on the 2025-2026 regular season roster.[6]
Career statistics
[edit | edit source]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
[edit | edit source]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | UConn | 13 | 0 | 5.2 | .556 | .200 | .500 | 1.1 | .0 | .1 | .2 | 1.7 |
| 2022–23 | UConn | 12 | 1 | 3.9 | .500 | .000 | 1.000 | .8 | .1 | .2 | .0 | .9 |
| 2023–24 | UConn | 40 | 7 | 16.0 | .725 | .000 | .432 | 2.8 | .5 | .4 | .9 | 5.4 |
| 2024–25 | UConn | 34 | 34 | 19.4 | .766 | — | .760 | 3.5 | 1.0 | .7 | 1.5 | 7.5 |
| Career | 99 | 42 | 14.3 | .728 | .111 | .630 | 2.6 | .6 | .4 | .9 | 5.1 | |
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d e UConn commit Samson Johnson has rocketed up national recruiting rankings - and here's why David Borges (New Haven Register), 2 May 2021. Accessed 19 August 2021.
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