BREAKING: SMU lands Louisville transfer Samuell Williamson

After hosting Louisville transfer Samuell Williamson for an official visit last weekend, SMU landed a commitment from Williamson on Wednesday. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.

“I chose SMU due to the relationship I’ve developed with coach Lanier over the last couple weeks,” Williamson said to On3. “Felt a level of genuineness, honesty, and belief in me when talking about the opportunity. I felt confident about their player development and their ability to make me better.

“I heard nothing but great things about coach Lanier from many people and knew this was the spot for me to continue my basketball career while also returning home!”

Williamson was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school, but his career at Louisville did not go quite as planned. In 2021-22, he averaged 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting 45.6 percent from the floor. As a sophomore, which was his “COVID year,” Samuell Williamson averaged 9.6 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game.

For his career, he’s averaged six points, 4.2 rebounds and shooting 46.8 percent from the floor in 79 contests.

Williamson is a native of Rockwall, Texas and coming out of high school he chose Louisville over Kansas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma. Coming out of high school, Williamson was the No. 14 overall prospect, No. 4 shooting guard and No. 2 prospect in Texas, according to the On3 Consensus.

Samuell Williamson the first transfer piece from Lanier

SMU head coach Rob Lanier wants to build a program that’s filled with high school and transfer additions. Samuell Williamson is the first of new additions that Lanier hopes will build a team that can get up and down the floor.

“You can use the transfer portal to help built continuity. I am not a big fan of recruiting one-year transfers, but I will do it,” Lanier said at his introductory press conference. “I want to have relationships with young people over a long period of time. So, I would rather recruit kids in the transfer portal who have two or three years of eligibility left.

“So, between high school, the transfer portal, and trying to recruit internationally the bottom line is that I want talented perimeter players who can really shoot, I want athletic bigs who are mobile and can really move and can play pick-and-roll defense, and I want to play fast.”

Also in the class with Williamson are high school front court prospects in Alex Anamekwe and MoMo Cisse.