While Clemson still hasn’t signed a prospect as a part of its 2022 recruiting class, the Tigers are in it until the end for this Minnesota recruit.
Osseo (MN.) Senior High School’s Josh Ola-Joseph is down to Clemson, Minnesota and Loyola University Chicago.
Ola-Joseph (6-6, 200) dropped his final three schools on Monday evening via social media. He caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his current recruitment and what went into deciding that top trio of schools.
“The relationship with the staff, how straight-forward they are,” Ola-Joseph told TCI when asked about his decision to include Clemson in his top-3 schools. “They haven’t had any 2022 commits. They haven’t offered a lot of guys. They aren’t recruiting a lot of guys. So, I feel like they’ve made me a priority. That would be one of my top choices.”
Ola-Joseph’s relationship with Clemson’s coaching staff is not just through one coach. While he has a good relationship with assistant coaches Dick Bender and Kareem Richardson, all the coaches on the staff try to reach out to him a lot.
He recently took in a Zoom call with the staff and his family. They explained the ins and outs of Clemson from what happens on the court and in the classroom.
“I just really like the staff a lot,” he said. “[Clemson] is one of the best conferences in college basketball. They have a really good media presence. I feel like that could be a place where I blow up or show that I can play at the highest level.”
Now that Clemson has had the chance to significantly recruit Ola-Joseph, the staff has informed him how they would plan to use him, should he make the decision to sign with the Tigers.
According to Ola-Joseph, Clemson views him as a “big wing,” one that can shoot the ball, take advantage of smaller guards. They would use Ola-Joseph the way he wants to be used, he said.
In AAU he posted up a lot, but a lot of teams haven’t seen what Ola-Joseph can do with the ball in his hands. Clemson saw that versatility first-hand when the Tigers came to watch him play at the MBCA Showcase in Minnesota.
In Ola-Joseph’s last conversation with TCI, he described himself as a “junkyard dog.” He added that he can guard multiple positions, which makes him “more marketable.”
Right now, Ola-Joseph doesn’t have a timetable for his decision, but he’d like to make one sooner than later. He plans on making visits to all three schools before making any final decisions.
As far as his senior season is concerned, Ola-Joseph is personally looking to develop into a better player, while shooting the ball at an improved clip. Team-wise, he wants to win more games this season.
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