Q&A with Lamaj Lewis: Stan Johnson's first 2021 Loyola Marymount basketball commit discusses why he made pledge

St. John Bosco guard Lamaj Lewis committed to Loyola Marymount on Tuesday. He is new LMU coach Stan Johnson's first commitment in the 2021 class.

St. John Bosco guard Lamaj Lewis committed to Loyola Marymount on Tuesday. He is new LMU coach Stan Johnson's first commitment in the 2021 class.

Lewis answered questions about his LMU pledge in an interview with Scorebook Live California reporter Connor Morrissette. Here are snippets of that discussion:

(Editor’s note: Questions and answers have been edited for clarity)

Scorebook Live: Why did you choose LMU?

Lewis: I got great vibes from the staff ever since they offered. Coach Johnson has been personally talking to me a lot throughout the whole recruitment process. He's definitely invested in me and I wanted to rock with that so I put my faith in him.

Scorebook Live: How do they plan on using you at LMU?

Lewis: As far as I know right now, Coach Johnson and his staff plan to have me at the one. They really see me stepping up into a leadership role, leading a college team at a young age and just preparing for that level of basketball. I'll be the guy that runs their offense...It really doesn't get better than that. Running the point guard position at a college you want to go to and a college that wants you that is local enough for my family and friends to come to a game is great.

Scorebook Live: Have you been in touch with any of the other SoCal kids that have been offered by the LMU staff since you committed?

Lewis: Ya definitely. A lot of those guys who are my friends congratulated me so you know I had to put in a good word.

Scorebook Live: What are your discussions with Stan Johnson like?

Lewis: It's much more than just basketball. He's really invested in me as a person. He told me that when I leave LMU he wants to go back over conversations we had before I got there and while we were there. He's just really invested in me and it goes deeper than me being a player on his team.

Scorebook Live: When this LMU staff recruits someone, what does that look like?

Lewis: As far as when they recruited me it was a lot of phone calls. A few weeks after I got the offer, they began to get in touch with my family members and we had a few Zooms, my parents, myself and the coaching staff. It's been a lot of communication over the phone and with Zoom.

Scorebook Live: How have you been staying in shape during the pandemic?

Lewis: I'm fortunate to have a weight bench and a hoop at my house. I've been working out at home with my dad. We went back to our roots and he started training me again since we're stuck at our house. I'm fortunate to have him and the equipment.

Scorebook Live: Are you looking forward to going to LMU games during your senior year of high school?

Lewis: Yes, definitely. I'm excited to watch Coach Johnson coach and see how he runs stuff. That will be a great benefit for me before I get there, getting a feel for what they do before I get to campus.