3star_recruit

The issues with Vashon players are primarily academic. Same with East Side. Also, 5'8/5'9 guards with good, not great athleticism, and 6'4 power forwards don't exactly translate to the college game. Polk is the athletic exception for the tiny guards. Joel Shelton, Jesse Akins, James Washington, etc. are the norm.

But the road next year isn't the same as this year. That's the point. Only Webster Groves and Vashon has anything close to what they had this year returning.

There are some Vashon players that are very good to great athletes and they are some that are not. Luke Meyer is as athletic as Johnny Hill is. Borgia's point guard Alex Moosman is quicker than James Washington. I think if people weren't so blinded by Vashon's mystique they would see that.

"what is sad is that the vashon kids are just wild animals. they are taught nothing fundamentally." Johnny Hill and James Washington are not top flight athletes. They are effective offensive precisely because they are fundamentally sound players. Same with the skinny 6'4/6'5 interior players that they use to great effect against bigger and equally athletic out-of-state opponents year after year.

When you look at what's returning for other squads around the state, Pop Bluff's chance of returning state look pretty good. All you really need in Missouri is one high major player and an above average coach.

"Everyone just seemed to be waiting to take a shot or slash to the basket, but no real focused movement." Vashon's only chance was to get the 6'9 245 lb All-American in foul trouble. They tried and tried, via slashing and post up but Tyler Hansbrough is just too big and too good. I wouldn't want to be Ben Hansbrough if Vashon matches up with Poplar Bluff again next year. Kobe by himself is lot easier to deal with than Shaq and Kobe.

'Cause the Post only has the stats that the schools give to them. The schools outside outside the Metro area -- aren't always that dilligent about providing that information. Centralia is another big offender. I just hope the fact O'Rear is this physically mature this early isn't a sign that he's done growing.

"imo, the MVC is overrated" Based on what? And why would you put in Oral Roberts, whose best victory is over Georgetown, ahed of Northern Iowa, who beat Iowa State and lost by 6 to Cinci on the road?

Just wanted to give him props for stepping up big time in a big game. I'm still going to regard him as a 2 star until he grows some more. At 6'6 220, he's a behemoth in Illinois Class A ball but that makes him a tweener at the college level. If you're not a really good leaper, you really need to be in the 6'7 235 lb range to be an effective D-1 power forward nowadays. Hopefully, he's not done growing.

No need to wait for the summer -- this performance impressed the hell out of me. http://prepsports.stltoday.com/ssi/prep/st...E8?OpenDocument

Well, who you gonna believe -- Brad or problack from the Post forums? ;-) http://slubillikens.collegesports.com/spor.../111203aab.html

I think what cheese is getting at is -- why does a senior have to be the glue? Couldn't Luke Meyer, a player who the coach claims has the best grasp of his system, fill that role?

Let's think like Brad for a minute. What's the best way to get Ian the ball in scoring position? Liddell delivering the entry pass from the wing. Polk is too short to see over the defender. So I think we'll see Liddell leading the team in assists even if he isn't officially the point guard. Also, I much rather have Lisch and Liddell as Ian's outets on the wing when the shot clock is winding down.

TL only averaged 16 in high school where he was free to take as many shots as he wanted.. He is not going to score 13 a game as a college freshman. That's just not his nature.

Actually I'd go: 1 walkons 2 star- AD, JJ, VN, Husak 3 star-DP, LM, DB, IV, DC 4 star-KL, TL 5 star-none

The discussion we were having about the sophomore class reminded me of why I picked 3star_recruit as my handle in the first place. I think three star recruits should be the building blocks of this program. If a four star recruit plays within 20 miles of campus, we should quickly gauge his interest level and move on if the kid obviously has his sights set elsewhere. The only time we should even look at a two star recruit is for the center position where there just isn't much talent. Here is a quick rundown of what I'm visualizing when I attach "stars" to players. It's not exhaustive but these are so of the more common types: 1 star recruit: A fundamentally sound player who is a couple of steps too slow and a few inches too short but has his heart set on D-1 basketball. Would be better served playing D-2. 2 star recruit: The hard nosed, slow footed small guard; the three point specialist who needs multiple screens to get open; the mobile big who has trouble finishing in the paint; the tweener forward who lacks great hops. 3 star recruit: The undersized playmaker with great quickness; the pure shooting small guard who can create his own shot; the slashing big guard who lacks a reliable go to move; the tweener forward with hops and who thrives on putbacks. 4 star recruit: The smooth playmaking guard who can also score; the slashing big-time athlete with a reliable go to move; the pure shooting big guard who can create his own shot; the relentless power forward who controls the glass and can finish in the paint. 5 star recruit: Basketball supermen will be in the league in less than 2 years. More talented recruits give you more room for error. If Drejaj gets beat off the dribble, that's almost an automatic bucket. If Danny Brown gets beat off the dribble, he's quick enough to get back into the play and challenge the shot. When Drew Diener's three-ball was off, he was virtually useless. When Luke Meyer can't buy a three, he still has the slashing ability and moves well enough without the ball to manufacture 10 points. Brad has to increase his margin for error going forward. Nobody should have to coach game after game under that kind of pressure.

If Leonard has been out of school since the fall I imagine that's going to delay his graduation for a year, unless he was home schooled.

I'll meet you halfway. There are enough high major perimeter players out there that we shouldn't have to settle. The fact that Darren Brooks, Ben Jacobson and Nate Funk all play in the Valley is proof of that. But there are a lot fewer high major bigs available and they almost always go to strong basketball programs. So I have no problem going after mid-major bigs if they prove they can hold their own. A 6'6 kid schooling 6'3 interior players who won't even play D-3 basketball doesn't excite me. O'Rear is going to have to prove his mettle over the summer.

We still were going to lose this game but Anthony literally gave up 25 points today. His man was going by him like he was standing still. Hopefully he won't be called upon to guard oversized athletic wings next year. Same with Newborne trying to match up against 6'8/6'9 specimens.

It's still early but other than Powell, I don't see a high major prospect in the bunch.

It's very hard to shoot over 45% from 3 and well over 50% from 2 like Funk and Jacobson did this year. We can hope for it but I wouldn't expect it. Funk and Jacobson also have complimentary marksmen on their squads to spread the floor which we don't have.

Yeah, but how easy it to found out who Butler is recruiting? George Washington? Those are more appropriate comparisons imo, 'cause that's the level we've been recruiting at recently.

If Lisch could be the college player Jacobsen or Funk is, he'd be the best four year guard SLU's ever had. They've really impressed me this year.

The caliber of guards coming out northern Iowa the last five years is really amazing. Must be something in the water.

That's why I said, "shaping up to be". If he stays 6'6, then he's just a 6'6 combo forward with incredibly long arms, pogo sticks for legs, and a decent shot, which is still a good thing. If he grows to 6'8, comparisons to Hakim Warrick would be in order.