The Connecticut Huskies defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 75-60 to become the first men’s team to get back-to-back titles since 2007. In the presence of Purdue’s big man, 7’4 Zach Edey, they were quite a popular favorite to win the championship. However, it was just not meant to be. Draymond Green was quick to share his views on the game and thought that UConn’s Samson Johnson proved to be a crucial factor, citing a big moment in the game. Green, who continues to be a major presence for the Warriors this season, recognized a certain glimpse of quality from the 21-year-old forward’s game.

Taking to X, Draymond Green heaped praise on the Togolese native. “Job Well Done 35! You did your job tonight. It was him that made Edey quit with about 19 mins to go in the 2nd half. There was a turnover and I saw Edey body language walking back. He was done. Now rewatch the game from that point on“. 

While Spencer Johnson finished the night with just 4 points, an assist, and a rebound each, Edey simply dominated the game with 37 points and 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, Braden Smith was the only one with double digits apart from him, while the Huskies rallied for an organized group attack. 4 of out the 5 UConn starters scored double digits.

Interestingly enough, while Connecticut was brilliant on offense, ultimately, it was their defense that got them the title. They limited Purdue, the second-best three-point shooting team, to just seven shots from downtown.

So, let’s go to the crux of the article – who really is this 6’10, 225-pound big man from Lome, Togo?

Everything to know about “35” Samson Johnson

Samson Roosevelt Faical Kuessi Johnson, shortened to Samson Johnson, is the second-born of Moukiétou Bonfoh and Eric Johnson. He has four siblings – two sisters and two brothers. Fluent in 4 languages (French, English, Wolof, and Ewe), Johnson loved basketball from a young age. He wasted no time applying to the SEED Academy through which he arrived in the U.S. He then started going to a school in Florida before moving to The Patrick School, New Jersey.

From there, it was an uphill journey for the young boy from the West African nation. His notable achievement in high school was when he was named the co-MVP of the Slam 16 game in the Bronx. His stat line for the game was 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 blocks.

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He continued his dominance as a freshman, playing in 13 games and averaging 1.7 points and 1.1 rebounds while shooting a team-leading percentage of .556 from the field. Johnson’s sophomore season would have been remarkable had it not been for a foot injury. He was a starter for the season opener against Stonehill, finishing with 7 points and 3 rebounds in 16 minutes of game time. But an injury sidelined him for the next two months.

Of course, when he returned, it was to a minute-restricted schedule. But 2023-24 turned out to be Johnson’s big season. In 40 games, he averaged 5.4 points, 0.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game while going 100-of-138 from the field. He also had a season-high of 16 points during the matchup against St. Johns (NY) on December 23, 2023.

With a wingspan of 7’5, Samson Johnson’s high school coach, Chris Chavannes, was in awe of the then-16-year-old. “You see a guy that can just dominate a game on both ends of the floor, in a matter of seconds,” he said. “He can guard multiple positions, switch out on guards, beat you to the spot, recover, because he’s long enough, uses his length.”

Well, those words were surely proven by Samson Johnson in the 2023-24 NCAA tournament.

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