If you compare Jay Gavin’s video of Cadence Samuels playing basketball in junior high school to the current Samuels on the floor, he sees only progress.
“Cadence is a worker,” said Gavin, a former player who has trained Samuels and his brothers for years. “I can’t say anything else … When it’s time for her work, she’s really ready for her work.”
In a world where all top prospects feel serious about their sport from an early age, Samuels may be unusual in that he didn’t fall in love with basketball until he officially started playing around sixth grade. Hmm. Despite her roots in her parents from New Jersey meeting in high school and playing college basketball near St. Louis, she can dribble and shoot well until she spends more time practicing. I could not do it. When she won tons and played a solid defense, it all came together in a junior high school championship victory.
“It’s just a click for me,” Samuels said.
Gavin saw Samuels turn from a raw post player to someone who could take on a security mission. Bishop McNamara, Maryland’s 6-foot-2 wings have hops that steal the ball, choke on enemies, provide excellent defense, and jump to the board. The pandemic provided enough time to work on the craft. Samuels, Gavin, Samuels’s dad, and Kwanji Samuels Senior sneaked out for training at 6am and repeated at night in Samuels’ dead end. Her shots were made cleaner by making the ball feel better and working on the footwork. The trio was in the rain or outside the wet coat working on the move. Samuels is heading towards the final season of high school, so he aims to continue working on ball handling when under pressure.
“When everything comes together and she understands it all, she can do some of the things she doesn’t show, whether it’s off the ball screen or actually destroying the defender. It will be special, “Gavin said. “So when everything finally came together, how hard she played, how competitive she was in the defensive end, and where she was actually dealing with the ball in the way she shoots basketball. I think it will be fun to see. “
That work led to offers and quick commitments UConn last month. Samuels is ranked 35th in the 2023 class by ESPNw, joining the 6th guard Ashlyn Shade. No.7 Point Guard Camolea “KK” Arnold. They are with Paige Bueckers seniors AgefadJunior season at UConn.
UConn’s commitment as a commitment may be new, but that doesn’t mean Samuels has been put under radar. She chose Husky over the offer from Miami, Wake Forest, North Carolina And NC. UConn joined the process late. After one of the first recruitment live periods this summer, the family received a call from UConn Assistant and began a conversation with coach Geno Auriemma.
“It was a kind of surreal because UConn is UConn,” said her mother, Shanda Samuels. “They’re like’Oh, is it too late?’. No, of course not. Who doesn’t love UConn?”
Samuels then talked to Auriema, who came to see her play at the Boo Williams tournament during the second live. Auriema emphasized to Samuels that she does not always hire players to shoot the ball. This is a highlight for her parents. They said Auriema explained it to Samuels. However, when the ball is passed and the teammate hits a shot, the two are happy. “
It struck a chord with the family, who always see Samuels as someone who doesn’t need the ball in their hands. She has already thrown it away at the right moment. Surrounded by many other great players, UConn was fascinating.
Before they went to Stose on an informal visit, Samuels’ parents spoke with Azzi’s father, Tim Fad, to learn a little more about how they reached college decisions. Fad attended St. John’s College High School with Samuels’ brother Kwanji, who plays for George Washington.
When they returned from an informal visit, they listed the pros and cons. Kwanji played for a year in prep school after being injured in high school, so his hiring process wasn’t as intense as his sister. The family went on one official visit and he committed. They didn’t want Samuels to make such a quick decision.
Despite Shanda Samuels’ suggestion to wait for a decision, Samuels wanted her to go to UConn.
“I chose UConn because I wanted to win the final four and win the championship,” Samuels said. “Coach Jeno made me a professional basketball player, WNBA.. “
UConn’s Commit Qadence Samuels was seriously in need of a heat check at EYBL Session 2 tonight. @QadenceS @TeamTakeoverGBB pic.twitter.com/Gdnghz8lTA
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) July 8, 2022
They do the same for Qadence’s younger siblings, as the family learned from the Qwanzi recruitment process. Samuels is one of seven children (ages 23 to 10). Her sisters also participated in the Tournament of Champions while Samuels participated in the Nike Nationals EYBL Team Takeover in Chicago. The family had a rough summer between the AAU and the recruitment event and traveled almost every weekend.
However, Chicago marked the debut of Samuels, who spoke directly with more media. Shanda said her daughter was always an observer and was sitting to investigate the scene before going further into her elements. When Husky commits, she gets attention, when Samuels wants to be more extroverted. She congratulated random people and pointed to her asking, “Is it the girl going to UConn?”
“It’s crazy,” Samuels said with a laugh. “I’m used to it. It’s hard to accept because many people talk to me and ask why I went to UConn.”
In addition to the obvious nerves, Samuels is excited.
“I was really nervous to talk to (Auriema) honestly. He is said to be a really hard coach, but at the same time he will challenge you,” Samuel said. “That’s why I’m nervous, but I accepted the challenge.”
(Photo above of Jeno Aurima, left, and Cadence Samuels: Courtesy of Shanda Samuels)
