Brandon Sampson (born May 1, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Ottawa Blackjacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). He played college basketball for Louisiana State University (LSU).

Brandon Sampson
No. 25 – Ottawa Blackjacks
PositionShooting guard
LeagueCEBL
Personal information
Born (1997-05-01) May 1, 1997 (age 27)
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight184 lb (83 kg)
Career information
High schoolMadison Prep
(Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
CollegeLSU (2015–2018)
NBA draft2018: undrafted
Playing career2018–present
Career history
2018Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2018–2019Chicago Bulls
2018–2019Windy City Bulls
2019–2020Rio Grande Valley Vipers
2021Delaware Blue Coats
2021–2022Iowa Wolves
2022Newfoundland Growlers
2022–2023Iowa Wolves
2023Wisconsin Herd
2023Hapoel Be'er Sheva
2024–presentOttawa BlackJacks
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

High school career

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Sampson was named Louisiana Mr. Basketball as a senior for Madison Preparatory Academy in 2015 after averaging 15.9 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in leading the team to a state championship.[1] He signed with coach Steve Lavin at St. John's, but reopened his commitment when Lavin was fired in 2015. He ultimately signed with hometown LSU.[2]

College career

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Sampson was part of a heralded LSU recruiting class for coach Johnny Jones, which also included future NBA players Ben Simmons and Antonio Blakeney. After a disappointing freshman season, which saw the Tigers underperform as a team and Sampson's minutes fluctuate, he found more consistency as a sophomore in the 2016–17 season.[3] He averaged 11.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 27.5 minutes per game, starting the majority of the season.

As a junior the following year, Sampson suffered a severe ankle sprain, which caused him to miss a month of the season.[4] Upon his return, Sampson had difficulty with consistency due to the lingering effects of the injury.[5] On the season, he averaged 7.7 points in 18.9 minutes per game.

Professional career

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Following his junior season, Sampson declared for the 2018 NBA draft, but was not selected. After playing for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA Summer League.[6] He then signed an exhibit 10 contract with the Houston Rockets, who ultimately placed him on their NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.[7] In 18 games with the Vipers, Sampson averaged 17.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

On December 27, 2018, Sampson signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls. Under the terms of the agreement, he would split time with the Bulls' G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls.[8] He was assigned and made his Windy City debut the next night, scoring 17 points and passing for 5 assists in a win.[9] Sampson later made his NBA debut on January 30, 2019, with 5 points and 2 rebounds recorded in a 105–89 win over the Miami Heat.

On October 27, 2019, Sampson was included in the training camp roster of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.[10] He had a season high 27 points on January 13, 2020, additionally posting five rebounds and two assists in a win over the South Bay Lakers.[11] In 42 games, Sampson averaged 13.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.[12]

In 2020–21, Sampson played for the Delaware Blue Coats, appearing in 6 games in the pandemic-shortened season.

On October 26, 2021, Sampson joined the Iowa Wolves after a trade.[13] In 30 appearances, he averaged 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.[14]

On April 12, 2022, Sampson signed with the Newfoundland Growlers of the CEBL.[14]

Return to Iowa (2022–2023)

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On November 2, 2022, Sampson was named to the opening night roster for the Iowa Wolves.[15]

Wisconsin Herd (2023)

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On February 24, 2023, Sampson was traded to the Wisconsin Herd.[16]

Hapoel Be'er Sheva (2023)

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On August 5, 2023, Sampson signed with Hapoel Be'er Sheva of the Ligat HaAl.[17]

Career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

Regular season

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Chicago 14 2 15.3 .467 .379 .667 1.1 .7 .6 .2 5.1
Career 14 2 15.3 .467 .379 .667 1.1 .7 .6 .2 5.1

References

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  1. ^ "Brandon Sampson follows in Jarell Martin's footsteps, named LSWA Mr. Basketball". The Times-Picayune. April 12, 2015. Archived from the original on October 6, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  2. ^ Johnson, Chris (April 20, 2015). "LSU lands another star recruit, signing guard Brandon Sampson". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  3. ^ Bewers, James (October 29, 2016). "With lessons learned from an inconsistent freshman year, LSU guard Brandon Sampson assumes a leadership role". The Advocate. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  4. ^ Mickles, Sheldon (November 22, 2017). "LSU guard Brandon Sampson suffered severely sprained ankle, could be out a month". The Advocate. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  5. ^ Hickey, Alex (January 22, 2018). "LSU basketball coach Will Wade challenges guard Brandon Sampson". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  6. ^ Pacleb, Zac (July 11, 2018). "After testing his luck, Ex-LSU guard Brandon Sampson's trying to make his mark in NBA Summer League". The Advocate. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  7. ^ Feigen, Jonathan (October 9, 2018). "Rockets sign Brandon Sampson to an Exhibit 10 contract". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  8. ^ "Bulls sign Brandon Sampson to two-way contract". NBA.com. December 27, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  9. ^ "Bulls Start Fast, Never Look Back In Win Over Blue". NBA.com. December 28, 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
  10. ^ "VIPERS FINALIZE TRAINING CAMP ROSTER". NBA.com. October 27, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  11. ^ "Brandon Sampson: Posts season high in win". CBS Sports. January 13, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  12. ^ Shipp, Sonny (May 26, 2020). "Former LSU Tigers nearing a return to NBA action". 247 Sports. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  13. ^ "Iowa Wolves Announce Training Camp Roster and Finalize Coaching Staff". OurSportsCentral.com. October 26, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Growlers Sign Former Chicago Bulls Guard Brandon Sampson". CEBL.ca. April 12, 2022. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  15. ^ "Iowa Wolves Finalize Opening Night Roster". oursportscentral.com. November 2, 2022. Retrieved November 2, 2022.
  16. ^ "2022-23 NBA G League Transactions". NBA.com. March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  17. ^ "ברנדון סמפסון מצטרף". hb7.co.il (in Hebrew). August 5, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
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