By SAM LANCE
KANSAS CITY, KS — Class of 2026 five-star Qayden Samuels is a lefty who can fill up the scoring column. Maybe that’s why the 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard out of Bishop McNamara (MD) compares his game to Rutgers star and potential top-5 2025 NBA Draft pick Dylan Harper.
“I feel like I watched his game a lot,” Samuels told ZAGSBLOG. “He’s a role model to me.”
Like Harper during his AAU days, Samuels is one of the top scorers on the Nike EYBL circuit with Team Takeover. In 11 games, Samuels has averaged 21.2 points per game, good for fifth at the 17u level. He’s also added 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 43.3% from the field and 31-of-72 (43.1%) from 3-point range. Samuels is a big reason why Team Takeover sits at 10-1, tied for first in all of EYBL.
“Summer’s been going well,” Samuels said. “One more session and then it’s Peach Jam from there, so it’s go time. I want to win. That’s it. That’s the whole reason I’m playing AAU right now. I want to win my last year at Peach Jam.”
Even with his elite scoring, Samuels is just as good on the other side of the ball.
“I play defense,” Samuels said. “I don’t just play offense and let my scoring do the talking. I play defense too, and I can guard the best player.”
Several schools are in pursuit of the talented five-star. Samuels holds offers from Alabama, Georgetown, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Providence, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, UConn and Virginia Tech, among others. He’s taken unofficial visits to Georgetown and Villanova under the old staff.
Specifically, Georgetown, Maryland, Rutgers, UConn and Villanova are heavily involved and were out to see Samuels during the high school season. The five-star said Arkansas, Louisville, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky and Tennessee were some of the schools out to see him during the live session in Memphis. Samuels has a busy June filled with a variety of camps, so he’ll be looking to set up official visits more towards the fall.
He broke down some of the schools involved to ZAGSBLOG:
Georgetown: “I love Georgetown. Georgetown is always showing love. They invite me to everything. I’m at every game front, courtside. It’s amazing. I love Georgetown. I love Ed Cooley. He’s himself and I feel like if I have a coach like that who can be himself around me and trust me, I’ll be good.”
Louisville: “They talked to me once I think last year, but it’s pretty good. They talked to me and Prince-Alexander [Moody] and it was nice. Me, [Jordan] Smith and Alex, we’re supposed to go on a little visit together to Louisville.”
Maryland: “New staff. I love the coach [Buzz Williams]. They’re doing amazing. They came out, they showed love when I was working out in the morning. It was amazing. I love the staff, the whole staff was there to watch me and Alex work out. So it was amazing.”
Rutgers: “I’ve talked to coach [T.J.] Thompson. I haven’t been over there yet even though my family’s in Jersey. I feel like I should take a visit up there, but yeah. I see some big time players coming out of there and it’s just like big time.”
UConn: “I’ve been to UConn for my sister. So I haven’t really been on the boy’s side. But it’ll be a nice visit on the boy’s side of it.” Samuels sister, Qadence Samuels, has spent the past two seasons at UConn before transferring to NC State this offseason.
Villanova: “I love them too. I love their school. So it was cool. I like their school. I went all around, I had a team camp. But they showed love, they watched me play. They said I did pretty good. The campus is dope. I like how the main gym — how it looks around. It’s not too big, it’s not to small. I like the rims.”
When making a final decision, Samuels is looking for loyalty and trust.
“I’m looking for a coach that will trust me and let me play as a freshman, let me play through mistakes,” Samuels said. “That’s the only way to get better and learn.”
Samuels is part of a big basketball family with three older siblings and three younger siblings, all who play. His mother, Shanda Samuels, started it all, playing at St. Louis University in college. One of Samuel’s older brothers, Qwanzi Samuels, currently plays overseas in Hungary.
The five-star is ranked the No. 20 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports.
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