Recruiting Report: DJ Campbell (2022)
The CBG Winter Series and Showcase Series saw a lot of talented players and teams come through, but the 522 Warriors were one of the staples of the event and junior guard DJ Campbell was one of the best and…
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Continue ReadingThe CBG Winter Series and Showcase Series saw a lot of talented players and teams come through, but the 522 Warriors were one of the staples of the event and junior guard DJ Campbell was one of the best and most consistent guys throughout the event.
With their season canceled, the Warriors played in almost every event, and while I knew Campbell was talented he really showed that he’s one of the top guards in the 757 moving forward. When asked about it, he said he enjoyed the series and the bump that came along with it.
“It’s been great, I like the series we played some really good teams,” Campbell said. “We couldn’t get to our regular season of course and would have made the playoffs, but the series has been great for us and it was set up really well.”
Campbell was the top scorer in the Peninsula District as both a freshman and a sophomore, and this year he showed he’s not just a scoring threat but a dual threat guy who can run a team and make others better as well. In their final game against the CBG Wildcats, Campbell had a double-double with 21 points and 11 assists, and chipped in 7 steals as well.
While he’s known as a scorer, Campbell says he’s been doing this for a long time now.
“I’ve really played this way ever since I was a freshman,” he said. “I just come in and do what I have to do, score first and then hit my teammates when they’re available and just do whatever my coach needs me to do.”
One of the main things that stands out about Campbell is his high IQ and feel for the game with the ball in his hands. He says it comes from a lot of work and study, as he’s a basketball nerd that can’t get enough of watching the game.
“Yeah I do it all, I watch a lot of film, I study college basketball and our film of course, study what the defense gives me and just stay true and play the game the right way.”
Campbell gets a lot of credit for what he does on the offensive end, but his feel and IQ are on both ends as well. When asked what he thought he was underrated with, he said he doesn’t think he gets enough credit on the defensive end.
“My underrated part of my game is my defense. People don’t expect me to play tight on ball defense or play good off ball defense, but I stick to my man and make plays on the defensive end.
Campbell pulled early offers from the local schools in the 757 in Hampton, Norfolk State and ODU, but he’s starting to see more and more schools reach out to him. He says he’s heard recently from Jackson State, James Madison, NC State, Radford and more.
While he has time to continue to build his recruitment, he says he knows what he’s looking for in a team already.
“I just want a coach to believe in me and have a system that fits the way they want me to play. I just want to do whatever I have to do to help the team win and whatever is good for the program.”
As to why he thinks coaches should recruit him, he says it goes well beyond his skill set and ability to make plays for his team.
“My leadership I think is the big thing. My leadership comes into play whether we’re winning, losing or a tie game down the stretch. I have good playmaking ability and can make others better while also scoring.”
Campbell will be suiting up for Boo Williams this summer, and if the way he played throughout the CBG is any indication coaches need to be checking him out moving forward. A smart kid who works hard on and off the court, he’s just scratching the surface with how good he can be moving forward.