Sports

Sampson leaving Johnnies for NBA

JaKarr Sampson has decided to enter the NBA Draft. But will St. John’s star hear his name called?

The sophomore forward made the surprising decision to forgo his junior and senior seasons and go pro, the school announced Monday night, after an up-and-down year in which St. John’s fell shy of reaching the NCAA Tournament.

“I have been advised that I may be selected between the late first and mid-second round, but the important thing is I am in the mix and I know I can earn my way up the draft board,” Sampson said in a statement. “Playing in the NBA has always been a lifelong dream of mine. I know I have a long road ahead and hard work to do still, but I feel like the chance to pursue my dream is available right now.”

A gifted athlete, the 6-foot-8 Akron, Ohio, product has improved his mid-range jump shot, but his defense, rebounding and offensive skill set remain works in progress.

He isn’t included in DraftExpress.com’s mock draft. An NBA scout and the president of a professional scouting service told The Post the 21-year-old Sampson likely would be a mid-to-late second-round pick at best.

“We don’t have him as a top 10 small forward in the draft,” said Elan Vinokurov, president of EZ Hoops, a professional scouting service that a variety of NBA teams rely on. “I can’t imagine he’s considered draftable by teams. But there could be a team who sees him on a good day and uses a late second-round pick on him.

“He hasn’t improved a ton from Year One to Year Two. People expected him to make more of a jump, and he didn’t do that.”

Sampson said in the statement he plans to sign with an agent and will begin workouts with pro trainers and strength coaches immediately. He will finish the semester and come back during the offseason to continue to work toward his degree in liberal studies.

Sampson was the Big East Rookie of the Year as a freshman and was a member of the Big East preseason second team. He averaged 12.8 points and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game, helping lead St. John’s to the NIT, and a third-place finish in the Big East and a 20-12 campaign.

Sampson’s departure leaves a major void in the Johnnies’ frontcourt, as they also lose forwards Orlando Sanchez and God’s Gift Achiuwa to graduation. St. John’s doesn’t have any prospects signed for next year, but it is in the mix for Christ the King 6-11 center Adonis Delarosa, a three-star prospect.