UConn appears to be close to landing another member of the 2014 recruiting class, this time junior college combo-guard Sam Cassell Jr. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Cassell's father starred at Florida St. alongside Bob Sura before playing 16 seasons in the NBA.
Details via the Hartford Courant's Dom Amore:
On Sunday, Jody Demling, publisher of the website Cardinal Authority tweeted that Louisville was no longer recruiting Cassell Jr., who had narrowed his choices to UConn and Louisville. This weekend, UConn associate head coach Glen Miller was seen in Tallahassee, Fla., watching Cassell Jr. play for Chipola in a Juco jamboree.It appeared Louisville, which had spent a lot of time on Cassell earlier in the week, did not have a staff there.
According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, the Cardinals have been interested in Cassell for some time.
“They’ve been a fan of Sam’s for a while, and I think the decommitment (of JaQuan Lyle) definitely opened up a spot that allowed them to pursue Sam,” Cassel's junior college coach Patrick Blake told the Courier-Journal. “…His game is very similar to his dad’s. He’s really crafty, a big-time shooter ... Where he’s really developed with us is being able to get other people shots. He’s always been able to score, but his ability to create for others has really elevated his game.”
The NCAA’s early signing period starts in November, and if Cassell ends up in Storrs, he'll join a '14 class that includes Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and Rakim Lubin.
