Sampson Announces Recruiting Class

NORMAN, Okla. Oklahoma head coach Kelvin Sampson announced his 2004-05 recruiting class Thursday. Joining the OU men's basketball program next year will be junior college All-American Mike Neal and current high school standouts Austin Johnson and Taylor Griffin. Neal and Johnson are guards while Griffin is a forward.

Sampson said the three players will be a great fit for OU, both on and off the court.

“We're ecstatic about this class,” said Sampson. “This was a little bit of a tricky recruiting class because we're going to have five starters back next year. We had to plug holes where we think we're going to need players. On top of their ability as basketball players, Mike, Austin and Taylor are excellent students. They're great character kids. We're excited. We feel like we've made Sooner Basketball better.”

Neal is a 6-4, 185-pounder who is rated as the No. 2 junior college player in the country by analyst Van Coleman. The sharpshooter was the only freshman guard named to the National Junior College Athletic Association's first- or second-team All-America lists last year (he was a second-team selection). Playing for Lon Morris College, Neal averaged 21.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.1 steals a game and shot .398 from 3-point range. He led Lon Morris to a 28-6 record last year and posted games of 33 and 31 points in the junior college national tournament. Neal is a preseason first-team NJCAA All-American this year.

“Mike Neal was one of the best shooters we saw,” said Sampson. “We see him as an impact guard who will be a huge help to next year's team. Mike is a smart player. He moves extremely well without the ball. Just watching him play and watching him shoot the ball Mike was a no-brainer. He's a great kid, a high, high character kid. He's a good student who will graduate from OU. He has a great understanding of how the game should be played. He comes off screens well and if he gets any kind of space he'll shoot it. Because he plays for Lon Morris and Coach Dale Dotson, Mike will be ready to step in and play right away next year.”

A senior at Palo Duro High School in Amarillo, Texas, Johnson is rated as the nation's 45th-best high school senior and the 12th-best shooting guard in the country by Rivals.com. Standing 6-3 and weighing 170 pounds, Johnson averaged 27.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.9 steals a game as a junior. He shot .533 from the field, .376 from beyond the 3-point arc and posted a .799 figure from the foul line. Johnson led Palo Duro to a 35-2 record, the most wins by an Amarillo team in city history. Recording 46- and 44-point games last year, Johnson was a first-team All-State honoree and was the Amarillo Area MVP. He's the two-time defending district MVP and earned all-region honors as a sophomore. Johnson's father, A.J., is the Palo Duro HS girls' head coach.

“Austin has a tremendous upside,” said Sampson. “Austin is one of the more athletic guards we've signed. He's a coach's son who has great basketball instincts. As he gains strength and maturity he's going to turn out to be an excellent player here. He's a kid who can play three positions on the perimeter. He's long enough to defend either wing spot and he's smart enough to play point guard. He's got great athletic ability. He'll drive the lane and, instead of pulling up to shoot the short jumper, he has the ability to dunk on you. That gives a person an idea of what he can do athletically. “

A 6-7, 225-pounder, Griffin attends Oklahoma Christian School in Edmond and plays for his father, Tommy. Griffin averaged 15.8 points,11.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game as a junior last year while shooting .612 from the field and .771 from the free throw line. The first-team All-State performer earned the 3A State Tournament MVP award as he led his team to the state title. Griffin was a first-team Little All-City honoree by The Oklahoman, was named the Central Oklahoma Conference MVP and was picked as the Edmond Player of the Year. He is rated as the nation's 97th-best high school senior by Hoop Alliance and is ranked No. 134 by Rivals.com.

“I don't think Taylor has a great strength,” said Sampson. “I think his greatest value is his versatility. He's one of those kids who's a jack of all trades. He has great intangibles, has tremendous heart and works at what he does. He's a coach's son and has a great feel for the game. Taylor is a guy you can plug into a lot of places, a little bit like Eduardo Najera and Daryan Selvy were when we signed them. He's not really a 3, not really a 4. He's just a really good player who will help us a lot of different ways.”

Sampson said Neal, Johnson and Griffin represent OU's entire 2004-05 recruiting class.

Lon Morris College Head Coach Dale Dotson on Mike Neal
“Mike's not a show business guy. He's tough as nails. It's hard to get him out of a game. He played in the national tournament last year with a fractured ankle and had games of 33 and 31. He's a tremendous competitor who loves to win. He doesn't like to get beat, doesn't like anything about it. That's a great combination to have.

“He's a great shooter, but he's probably even better without the ball. He's great at shaking defenders and getting open. He'll bump a guy off, catch it and shoot it in the goal before the defender can recover. I've been doing this since 1967 and I've never seen anyone better at playing without the ball.”

Oklahoma Christian School Head Coach Tommy Griffin on Taylor Griffin
“Taylor is Mr. Dependable. You can count on him to show up every day ready to work hard. He leads by example and is an ideal role model for younger kids. He is driven by a desire for excellence in every facet of his life.

“Taylor is a player whose strengths lie in his knowledge of the game, his defensive skills, his versatile moves around the basket and his physical strength.”

Palo Duro High School Head Coach Jeff Evans on Austin Johnson
“Austin is a very well-rounded basketball player. He plays all phases of the game well and I think that's been his biggest asset. Statistically, he scores a lot of points. But he's also been our leader in assists and a leader in rebounding. He's been one of our best defensive players, too. He scores in a variety of ways. He's a great 3-point shooter but he also scores a lot driving to the basket. His versatility makes him tough.

“He's a great kid. He's an A' student and presents himself well. Besides what he does during games, he's a great leader for us in practice and off the court. He's a coach's kid and I think that shows. For us, it's kind of like having a coach on the floor.”

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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