UConn’s 2021 recruiting class signed, sealed and delivered

UConn has received national letters of intent from its three-man 2021 recruiting class of Rahsool Diggins, Jordan Hawkins and Samson Johnson.

The trio is currently ranked the No. 8 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports, second behind Villanova in the Big East and No. 10 nationally by ESPN.

It’s head coach Dan Hurley’s third straight top 20 recruiting class.

Hawkins, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Maryland, is the No. 47 recruit in the nation, per 247Sports, and No. 60 according to ESPN. Diggins, a 6-3 point guard from Philadelphia, checks in at No. 54 and 69, respectively, while Johnson, a 6-10 forward originally from Lome, Togo, rates at No. 71 per ESPN and No. 76 per 247.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rahsool, Jordan and Samson to the UConn family,” Hurley said in a statement released by UConn. “Each of these young men has the type of talent, character, work ethic and winning pedigree that will help us continue to build a championship program.”

Here’s what Hurley and ESPN national recruiting analyst Adam Finkelstein had to say about the three recruits:

JORDAN HAWKINS

Hurley: “Jordan is the prototypical UConn wing — the kind of player that UConn has had so much success with in the past. He’s extremely athletic with long range shooting ability and his versatility and ability to stretch the floor should excite UConn Nation.

Jordan has a great pedigree, playing at DeMatha under Mike Jones and for Team Durant under Osman Bangura, which should translate to success at the next level.”

Finkelstein: “Jordan’s got incredible tools. He’s got a beautiful shooting stroke, and he’s also a high-level athlete ... While his talent is really pretty clear, because there’s just not many guys who have that kind of shooting stroke to match that kind of athleticism, he’s still coming on. He’s a guy I think could really continue to get better and has a lot of star potential and is a long way from playing his best basketball.”

What does Hawkins have to do to get better? Finkelstein: “Just having a consistent impact on the game. He’s a type of guy, you could watch him, and over the course of the game, he might make five or six high-level plays, you might see him drill a 3 and it looks beautiful coming off his hands, you might see him rise up for a big dunk, you might see him really elevate on his pull-up and say, ‘Jeez, that’s a high-level shot.’ But (he) doesn’t really impose his will yet. Turning that vast potential into consistent production, so you can kind of change the complexion of the game, relative to his level of talent, is kind of the next step.”

He compared Hawkins to current UConn standout sophomore wing James Bouknight.

RAHSOOL DIGGINS

Hurley: “Rahsool is a proven winner who has established himself as one of the best guards in the country both at Archbishop Wood under coach John Mosco and with Team Final under Rob Brown. He is a very talented guard who can score at all three levels and is an unselfish passer with great leadership skills. Rahsool is the type of player we need at UConn as we pursue championships.”

Finkelstein: “I think he’s more of a scoring point guard than a distributing point guard. Rahsool’s an interesting one, too, because he’s already a very good player ... For a guy whose game is so advanced, where his upside is gonna come from is the fact that, physically, his body hasn’t caught up to his game yet ... Rahsool does not have that outward physicality just yet. Once his body catches up with his game, that’s when he’s gonna go to the next level.”

He also compared Diggins to former UConn point guard A.J. Price.

SAMSON JOHNSON

Hurley: “Samson is a very exciting player with a tremendous upside. He is a perfect fit for the type of player we were looking for in this class. He’s long, athletic and can really shoot. Along with his obvious talent, he’s had an amazing journey, starting at Seeds Academy in Senegal to being coached at a high level by Chris Chavannes at The Patrick School and gaining valuable experience playing for Jay David with the Jayhawks. Samson figures to be an exciting addition to our program that has championship aspirations.”

Finkelstein: “He’s got a really high ceiling. There’s just not many guys who can match, at 6-9, his length, athleticism, fluidity, and his shooting potential, as well. He’s a guy who I think is gonna be able to stretch the floor, down the road. But he’s also the ‘vertical spacer,’ mobile athlete that, as he bulks up and learns to kind of assert himself on the game ... He has significant long-term potential. He’s just scratching the surface. I don’t think he’ll shoot 40 percent from 3 right away, but if you told me he developed into that, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

Finkelstein added that Johnson is a “vertical spacer” — i.e., he plays above the rim.