It’s a well-known secret that college coaches try and position themselves to leave lasting impressions on elite prospects by strategically being the last school to have said recruit on campus just prior to his commitment.
The impact of that timing can potentially prove to be monumental.
Score one for Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, who finished up an official visit with IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) forward Jarace Walker on Sunday and earned his commitment on Thursday.
Walker picked the Cougars over Auburn and Alabama.
It certainly didn’t hurt Sampson’s chances that Walker got to meet Cougars’ legends turned NBA Hall of Famers Hakeem Olujuwan and Clyde Drexler during his visit; still, Sampson’s quick-hitting, spacious offense, which caters to players with Walker’s skill set, was the likely culprit in the end.